Player Info
- Name
- Isaiah Papalii
- Nickname
- Ice
- Date of Birth
- 20/09/98
- Place of Birth
- Auckland, New Zealand
- Height
- 182cm
- Weight
- 108 kg
- Nationality
-
- New Zealand
- Samoa
- Warriors #
- 215
- Warriors Debut (Date and Match Details)
- Round 1, 2017 vs Newcastle Knights
- Junior Club
- Te Atatu Roosters
- Signed From
- Mt Albert Grammar School
- Position
-
- Prop
- Wikipedia Page
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaiah_Papali%27i
The former Mount Albert Grammar student First XV player has been a standout with the Junior Warriors. While playing First XV for MAGs he helped the team win National First XV Championship Final against Hastings High School in 2016. Same year he would make his Warriors NYC debut and be selected for the Junior Kiwis.
Papalii has also won two gold medals in the 2014 Oceania Power Lifting Championships in New Caledonia. Papalii won the Youth (U17) 94kg+ division, and the Junior (U20) 105kg division with a 107kg snatch and a 125kg clean and jerk.
Papali'i played his junior rugby league for the Te Atatu Roosters, before being signed by the New Zealand Warriors.
In 2015, he toured Australia with the New Zealand under-18 side.
In 2016, Papali'i played for the New Zealand Warriors' NYC team.
In May, he played for the Junior Kiwis against the Junior Kangaroos.
In October, he re-signed with the Warriors on a three-year contract until the end of 2019.
That year, Papali’i mixed rugby league and rugby union, making 11 appearances for the Warriors' NYC side, while also playing for Mount Albert Grammar School's title-winning First XV.
In round 1 of the 2017 NRL season, Papali'i made his NRL debut for the Warriors against the Newcastle Knights.
In 2018, Papali'i made 20 appearances for the club as they finished 8th on the table and qualified for the finals. Papali'i played from the bench in the clubs 27-12 elimination final loss against Penrith. In October, he was named in the Kiwis’ squad for four-Test campaign against Australia and England as well as being selected for the Junior Kiwis for their clash against the Junior Kangaroos. He re-signed with the Warriors until the end of the 2020 NRL season.
On 12 March, Papali'i was stood down by the Warriors due to a drink driving offence which had occurred on 1 January. It was reported that Papali'i did not provide police with a breath test.
"We expect better from our players and anyone who falls short of our standards will be appropriately dealt with irrespective of the time of year or their standing within the club," Warriors CEO Cameron George said, "Isaiah is extremely remorseful for his actions. He feels like he's let his team-mates, the club, our fans and his family down. He is now determined to win back their respect and will also be fighting hard to earn back his spot in the team."
The same year, Isaiah's mother Lorina Papali'i was playing for the New Zealand Warriors in the inaugural NRL Women's Premiership, an unprecedented instance of a mother and son representing the same club in the same season.
He played 15 games for New Zealand in the 2020 NRL season as the club missed the finals. In October, he signed a contract to join Parramatta for the 2021 season.
He made his debut for Parramatta in round 1 of the 2021 NRL season, coming off the interchange bench in the club's 24-16 victory over Brisbane.
In round 6, he scored two tries for Parramatta in their 35-10 victory over Canberra.
In round 14, he was sent to the sin bin in Parramatta's 40-12 victory over the Wests Tigers after deliberately dropping his knee onto the head of Wests player Tom Amone.
Papali'i made a total of 25 appearances for Parramatta in the 2021 NRL season including both finals matches against Newcastle and Penrith as the club went out of the finals in the second week for the third straight season. In September, Papali'i was awarded the Ken Thornett Medal as Parramatta's player of the season.
On 27 September, Papali'i was named Dally M Second Rower of the year. On November 18, it was confirmed that he would move to the Wests Tigers starting in the 2023 season, on a three-year deal. Papali'i was initially offered a new contract by Parramatta worth $400,000 a season but instead decided to join Wests after they offered $600,000 a season.
In round 10 of the 2022 NRL season, he scored two tries for Parramatta in a 31-24 loss against the Sydney Roosters.
Papali'i played a total of 28 games for Parramatta in 2022 including their Grand Final loss to Penrith.
In October he was named in the New Zealand squad for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup.
Papalii has also won two gold medals in the 2014 Oceania Power Lifting Championships in New Caledonia. Papalii won the Youth (U17) 94kg+ division, and the Junior (U20) 105kg division with a 107kg snatch and a 125kg clean and jerk.
Papali'i played his junior rugby league for the Te Atatu Roosters, before being signed by the New Zealand Warriors.
In 2015, he toured Australia with the New Zealand under-18 side.
In 2016, Papali'i played for the New Zealand Warriors' NYC team.
In May, he played for the Junior Kiwis against the Junior Kangaroos.
In October, he re-signed with the Warriors on a three-year contract until the end of 2019.
That year, Papali’i mixed rugby league and rugby union, making 11 appearances for the Warriors' NYC side, while also playing for Mount Albert Grammar School's title-winning First XV.
In round 1 of the 2017 NRL season, Papali'i made his NRL debut for the Warriors against the Newcastle Knights.
In 2018, Papali'i made 20 appearances for the club as they finished 8th on the table and qualified for the finals. Papali'i played from the bench in the clubs 27-12 elimination final loss against Penrith. In October, he was named in the Kiwis’ squad for four-Test campaign against Australia and England as well as being selected for the Junior Kiwis for their clash against the Junior Kangaroos. He re-signed with the Warriors until the end of the 2020 NRL season.
On 12 March, Papali'i was stood down by the Warriors due to a drink driving offence which had occurred on 1 January. It was reported that Papali'i did not provide police with a breath test.
"We expect better from our players and anyone who falls short of our standards will be appropriately dealt with irrespective of the time of year or their standing within the club," Warriors CEO Cameron George said, "Isaiah is extremely remorseful for his actions. He feels like he's let his team-mates, the club, our fans and his family down. He is now determined to win back their respect and will also be fighting hard to earn back his spot in the team."
The same year, Isaiah's mother Lorina Papali'i was playing for the New Zealand Warriors in the inaugural NRL Women's Premiership, an unprecedented instance of a mother and son representing the same club in the same season.
He played 15 games for New Zealand in the 2020 NRL season as the club missed the finals. In October, he signed a contract to join Parramatta for the 2021 season.
He made his debut for Parramatta in round 1 of the 2021 NRL season, coming off the interchange bench in the club's 24-16 victory over Brisbane.
In round 6, he scored two tries for Parramatta in their 35-10 victory over Canberra.
In round 14, he was sent to the sin bin in Parramatta's 40-12 victory over the Wests Tigers after deliberately dropping his knee onto the head of Wests player Tom Amone.
Papali'i made a total of 25 appearances for Parramatta in the 2021 NRL season including both finals matches against Newcastle and Penrith as the club went out of the finals in the second week for the third straight season. In September, Papali'i was awarded the Ken Thornett Medal as Parramatta's player of the season.
On 27 September, Papali'i was named Dally M Second Rower of the year. On November 18, it was confirmed that he would move to the Wests Tigers starting in the 2023 season, on a three-year deal. Papali'i was initially offered a new contract by Parramatta worth $400,000 a season but instead decided to join Wests after they offered $600,000 a season.
In round 10 of the 2022 NRL season, he scored two tries for Parramatta in a 31-24 loss against the Sydney Roosters.
Papali'i played a total of 28 games for Parramatta in 2022 including their Grand Final loss to Penrith.
In October he was named in the New Zealand squad for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup.
- 2014 Oceania Power Lifting Championship double Gold medal
- 2016 National First XV Championship winners
- 2016 Warriors NYC debut
- 2016 Junior Kiwis
