Fresh details emerge in Josh Papalii's stunning State of Origin return
Speaking exclusively to 7NEWS, Papalii admitted that — after three years out of the Queensland set-up — he never imagined he would come out of Origin retirement.
'Feels good (to be back in the SOO team),' Papalii, 33, told Seven.
Asked directly if he thought he would ever 'come out of retirement', Papalii said 'no'.
'It's all pretty surreal for me right now,' he said.
'Yeah, just can't wait to go into camp and see the lads, and see Slatts and all the boys.
'(Looking forward to seeing) everyone ... I obviously watched the first two games and just, yeah, (enjoyed) watching how exciting they are and I just want to be a part of it.'
Overcoming flight delays down south to make it to the Maroons Twin Waters base just in time for their first major field session on Wednesday, the man — affectionately known as Big Papa — entered camp early in the afternoon.
But it was a bittersweet moment for Big Papa as he left his newborn child behind in Canberra.
Papalii was also asked about his immediate thoughts when his phone rang and he realised Slater was on the line.
'I was still in hospital for my son and my wife, and I missed the first couple of calls and, yeah, after speaking to Bill there was no doubt I'd come out of retirement and hopefully do a job,' he said.
Papalii spoke to Seven at the airport where a secret handwritten message (USO ASO UMA KEFSSS) was spotted on his suitcase.
The message in Samoan translates to something similar to, 'Friends are for everyday, brothers are for the hard days' (or 'friends for every day, brothers for the bad days').
Papalii's presence made an immediate impact at training with his fellow forwards still not quite believing Slater convinced the 23-game Origin veteran to pull on the Maroon one last time.
It's a sacrifice that will no doubt inspire his teammates who are still in shock.
Lindsay Collins shared Queensland's front row with Papalii in his original retirement match, the 20-22 decider.
'I don't know how Billy done it, but he pulled it off,' Collins said.
'I think he just brings that calmness.
'(But) he can flip a switch. You don't want to see him angry but he has a beautiful nature about him.'
The Bodyguard: Papalii hailed as Maroons' new protector
Recalled prop Josh Papalii will protect Queensland from harm and return fire to NSW like Kevin Costner did in the hit film The Bodyguard.
That's the word from Maroons captain Cameron Munster who is a fan of the film and Costner's part as the bodyguard who protected Whitney Houston, playing the role of a famous actress and singer, from a deranged stalker.
The Blues will be stalking Queensland in the State of Origin decider in Sydney and Canberra giant Papalii is the antidote in his first game for the Maroons since 2022.
'It's great to have him back. He brings a lot of that belief and steely eye when you have him beside you,' Munster said.
'It brings a bit of fear in people's faces. You don't want to be running around annoying Big Papa.
'He's a bit of a Kevin Costner. I don't know if you've seen that movie, Kevin Costner's The Bodyguard ... with Whitney Houston?
'He's probably our bodyguard and he's one of those enforcers. Taking him down to foreign territory, it's going to be good for us.'
Former Maroons captain Trevor Gillmeister, known as 'The Axe' and a bodyguard of sorts in his own right as a player, said Papalii was in career-best form and would sort the Blues out. When asked what his advice would be for Papalii in his Maroons swansong, Gillmeister got a gleam in his eyes.
'Just blow your gasket in the first 20 or 30 minutes and go hard,' Gillmeister said.
'When the shit hits the fan he will be there in the middle of it.
'We have got Alpha males here in Tino (Fa'asuamaleaui) and Lindsay (Collins) and other blokes as well but Papa is the older, settling influence.
'Nothing seems to rattle him and he plays like that. How good is he playing for the Raiders at the moment? Outstanding.'
Maroons hooker Harry Grant, who played alongside Papalii when he made his Origin debut in 2020, said his arrival was much anticipated.
'Everyone is really looking forward to big Paps getting back in camp and the presence and aura that he brings to the team,' Grant said.'He's a scary man to play against and one of the hardest blokes I've had to tackle because he is so wide and has got so many options to his game.'He's a protector and warrior of the team and has been for so many years. You know how much Queensland means to him. Every series he has been messaging and saying 'good luck and go well' to the boys and now he is back.
'It's pretty cool that he never lost that attachment to the group and how much the Origin series means even though he wasn't in the team for a couple of years.'
Maroons squad for Origin III
1. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, 2. Xavier Coates, 3. Robert Toia. 4. Gehamat Shibasaki, 5. Valentine Holmes, 6. Cameron Munster, 7. Tom Dearden, 8. Josh Papalii, 9. Harry Grant, 10. Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, 11. Reuben Cotter, 12. Kurt Capewell, 13. Trent Loiero, 14. Kurt Mann, 15. Lindsay Collins, 16. Jeremiah Nanai, 17. Pat Carrigan, 18. Reece Walsh, 19. J'maine Hopgood, 20. Josh Kerr.
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Bellamy 'won't expect miracles' from weakened Storm
Craig Bellamy is not expecting miracles from an understrength Melbourne, but luckless Jonah Pezet could be forgiven for thinking his NRL comeback is one. The Storm and North Queensland will be without a combined total of nine State of Origin representatives for Saturday's clash, the most for any game this weekend. Covering for the absences and injuries in the outside backs, Melbourne have been forced to name Joe Chan to play centre for the first time in his NRL career. Elsewhere, Penrith junior Ativalu Lisati has been named for only his third game, while journeyman winger Kane Bradley comes in for his second game of the year. "You don't expect miracles from them," Bellamy said of the reinforcements. "But they've been training with us all year, we haven't got anyone in over the last few weeks. "It (the Origin period) is always tough but it's tough for a lot of teams." But there is a silver lining in the NRL comeback of Pezet, who had been earmarked as the Storm's next halfback before enduring more than a year of knee injury hell. The playmaker was last seen in the NRL in round three last year, rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament playing reserve grade a month later. Some 336 days later in March, Gosford-born Pezet returned to the field for feeder side North Sydney, only to injure the same knee and book in for more surgery. But Pezet has since made it through two games of NSW Cup and will start on Bellamy's bench after making it through captain's run in Townsville. "There's some guys that are going to get a chance tomorrow, a chance to impress and a chance to play a bit of first grade," Bellamy said. "Hopefully they'll grab that with both hands." The Cowboys will need to forge on without Murray Taulagi, who has failed to pull up from a minor knee injury suffered in last week's win over Gold Coast. Braidon Burns will replace Taulagi on the wing but the club expects to have the former Queensland representative back for next week's clash with Canterbury. "We named him this week in the thought he might improve but he tried to get some running done on Thursday and was no good," said North Queensland coach Todd Payten. Craig Bellamy is not expecting miracles from an understrength Melbourne, but luckless Jonah Pezet could be forgiven for thinking his NRL comeback is one. The Storm and North Queensland will be without a combined total of nine State of Origin representatives for Saturday's clash, the most for any game this weekend. Covering for the absences and injuries in the outside backs, Melbourne have been forced to name Joe Chan to play centre for the first time in his NRL career. Elsewhere, Penrith junior Ativalu Lisati has been named for only his third game, while journeyman winger Kane Bradley comes in for his second game of the year. "You don't expect miracles from them," Bellamy said of the reinforcements. "But they've been training with us all year, we haven't got anyone in over the last few weeks. "It (the Origin period) is always tough but it's tough for a lot of teams." But there is a silver lining in the NRL comeback of Pezet, who had been earmarked as the Storm's next halfback before enduring more than a year of knee injury hell. The playmaker was last seen in the NRL in round three last year, rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament playing reserve grade a month later. Some 336 days later in March, Gosford-born Pezet returned to the field for feeder side North Sydney, only to injure the same knee and book in for more surgery. But Pezet has since made it through two games of NSW Cup and will start on Bellamy's bench after making it through captain's run in Townsville. "There's some guys that are going to get a chance tomorrow, a chance to impress and a chance to play a bit of first grade," Bellamy said. "Hopefully they'll grab that with both hands." The Cowboys will need to forge on without Murray Taulagi, who has failed to pull up from a minor knee injury suffered in last week's win over Gold Coast. Braidon Burns will replace Taulagi on the wing but the club expects to have the former Queensland representative back for next week's clash with Canterbury. "We named him this week in the thought he might improve but he tried to get some running done on Thursday and was no good," said North Queensland coach Todd Payten. Craig Bellamy is not expecting miracles from an understrength Melbourne, but luckless Jonah Pezet could be forgiven for thinking his NRL comeback is one. The Storm and North Queensland will be without a combined total of nine State of Origin representatives for Saturday's clash, the most for any game this weekend. Covering for the absences and injuries in the outside backs, Melbourne have been forced to name Joe Chan to play centre for the first time in his NRL career. Elsewhere, Penrith junior Ativalu Lisati has been named for only his third game, while journeyman winger Kane Bradley comes in for his second game of the year. "You don't expect miracles from them," Bellamy said of the reinforcements. "But they've been training with us all year, we haven't got anyone in over the last few weeks. "It (the Origin period) is always tough but it's tough for a lot of teams." But there is a silver lining in the NRL comeback of Pezet, who had been earmarked as the Storm's next halfback before enduring more than a year of knee injury hell. The playmaker was last seen in the NRL in round three last year, rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament playing reserve grade a month later. Some 336 days later in March, Gosford-born Pezet returned to the field for feeder side North Sydney, only to injure the same knee and book in for more surgery. But Pezet has since made it through two games of NSW Cup and will start on Bellamy's bench after making it through captain's run in Townsville. "There's some guys that are going to get a chance tomorrow, a chance to impress and a chance to play a bit of first grade," Bellamy said. "Hopefully they'll grab that with both hands." The Cowboys will need to forge on without Murray Taulagi, who has failed to pull up from a minor knee injury suffered in last week's win over Gold Coast. Braidon Burns will replace Taulagi on the wing but the club expects to have the former Queensland representative back for next week's clash with Canterbury. "We named him this week in the thought he might improve but he tried to get some running done on Thursday and was no good," said North Queensland coach Todd Payten.
