The man who called the police on himself for drinking
In short: Josh Papali'i is a rugby league icon known for his power and poise. Yet, one of his most bizarre moments involved a late-night phone call where he reported his own erratic driving to the police—simply to "make a point."
Born in Auckland, New Zealand, and raised in Queensland, Josh Papali'i became the highest-capped player in the history of the Canberra Raiders. His career is defined by elite consistency, including multiple Mal Meninga Medals (the club's Player of the Year award) in 2016, 2017, and 2020. He has represented both Australia and Samoa at the international level, notably scoring a try in the 2013 World Cup Final victory over New Zealand.
However, his career has been punctuated by high-profile off-field incidents. In 2017, Papali'i was stood down by the Raiders and the Kangaroos after being convicted of drink-driving. The court heard that he had made two consecutive triple-zero emergency calls to report a black Jeep driving erratically. Police eventually traced the calls to his own phone; he was found on a bike path with bloodshot eyes and slurred speech, later telling authorities he made the calls "to make a point."
Other notable incidents include a 2013 robbery in Manchester where he lost approximately £200, and a 2014 road rage incident where he threw a bottle of moisturizing cream at another motorist. Despite these controversies, Papali'i remained a cornerstone of the Raiders' success, notably scoring the winning try in the 2019 preliminary final that sent the club to its first grand final in 25 years.
His journey reflects the complexities of modern sports stardom, balancing immense physical achievement with personal lapses in judgment. He reached a milestone of 300 NRL matches in 2024, cementing his legacy as a club legend despite the headlines that occasionally followed his path.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Josh Papali'i
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