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Isaiah Papali’i might’ve taken over James Fisher-Harris’ locker but Panthers coach Ivan Cleary has one simple message for his new recruit: “Be your own player — there’s a reason you’re here.”
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Papali’i is the newest addition to the Panthers’ pack and although he’s been named on an edge for Saturday’s trial match, the 26-year-old is a good chance of replacing Fisher-Harris up front come Round 1.
The former Tiger, Eel and Warrior was snapped up by the reigning premiers on a three-year deal last May — just five weeks after Fisher-Harris’ shock request for an early release was signed off on.
Papali’i required an early release himself to make the move to the foot of the mountains. This was meant to be the final season of a three-year deal with the Tigers, but after an underwhelming stint the two parties made the mutual decision to part ways early.
The Kiwi international’s hunt for a new team was short and sweet. In fact, the Panthers were the only club he spoke to and all it took was one meeting with Cleary to come up with the “pretty easy answer.”
“He was really cool,” Papali’i told foxsports.com.au when asked about his meeting with Cleary.
“We kind of talked about life in general like where I came from, what my upbringing was like… that was kind of the chat we had prior to signing and I think that was a cool thing.
“He wanted to get to know me away from just the rugby league player. I love talking about my family and where I come from so for him to be interested in hearing that story, I was pretty happy.”
Papali’i has now spent a couple of months under the man that’s considered the glue in the Panthers’ dynasty and his opinion has only gotten higher of him.
“He’s observant,” Papali’i said.
“He’s not always the loudest in the room, but when he does have something to say, everyone’s listening.
“He’s just very wise. He has lots of quotes… he kind of reaches out (to) not just rugby league, but other sports and successful athletes and kind of just grabs little quotes from them and applies it to us.”
At the centre Cleary’s success as an NRL coach is the effort he puts into understanding his players and the connection he drives within the group.
So it’s not lost on him just how big the task ahead of Papali’i is.
Fisher-Harris became a fan favourite during his 12 years at the Panthers. He arrived as a raw 17-year-old with big dreams and left with four premierships, two Dally M Prop of the Year awards, 18 appearances for New Zealand, a Golden Boot and the Kiwi captaincy.
Papali’i — also a New Zealand international — knows he’s got big shoes to fill but “observant” and “wise” Cleary has already reassured him that the club isn’t expecting a carbon copy of what they had.
“He was a big part of this club and I’m sure if you ask anyone at the club, they’ll say the same thing,” Papali’i said of Fisher-Harris.
“And yeah, there is an element of pressure to that but coach just kind of helped me calm those nerves by saying that ‘you don’t have to come in and be ‘Fish’ or be that type of person. You be your own player, there’s a reason you’re here’ — and that’s to be me.
“That’s what’s kind of been in the back of my mind.”
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Papali’i will get a chance to bring his own flair to the Panthers’ jersey when they take on the Raiders on Saturday night.
Fans can expect to see a little bit of fire from their new recruit this season with Papali’i revealing Cleary is a big fan of his “controlled aggression” — something Fisher-Harris also brought to the jersey.
“I think he (Cleary) has called me a wrecking ball,” Papali’i smiled.
Papali’i was “over the moon” but “quite nervous” when he signed with the Panthers and admitted “those feelings are still there.”
There’s a certain level of expectation that any recruit would feel when joining the four-peat champions.
They haven’t created a dynasty by coincidence — the organisation is full of people keeping each other accountable in every role at every level.
Papali’i has soaked up every lesson since making the move and the one thing that’s really stood out to him is “the standards (the Panthers) hold across the whole club from senior level to the junior grades.”
“I came in a bit earlier than everyone else and even that (standard of training) felt like a high level of fitness and skill,” he added.
“That kind of was the impression I got looking from the outside in… but when you’re in and amongst you just have to rise to the level of their standards.
“And I think that’s what I was looking for as a player… so I definitely feel like I’m being challenged every day.
“I guess that’s where the excitement and nerves always come in.
“Being challenged, it’s kind of uncomfortable, but that’s the situation you want to be in. And at least when it comes to game day you’re going to be comfortable with being under pressure and challenged, because you’ve already done it day in, day out on the training field.”
Papali’i, like every player, is chasing a premiership. He came close in 2022 when he played in a grand final with the Eels, but two wooden spoons in two seasons with the Tigers forced him to reassess his path.
Now he’s making the most of a golden opportunity to be a part of a generational playing group, who will begin their charge for a fifth-straight premiership in Round 1 in Las Vegas.
“You want to have success as a player and I guess I struggled to get that at the Tigers,” Papali’i conceded.
“Also rugby league doesn’t stick around for long, so you’ve got to make the most of those years that you do have.
“This is my ninth season in rugby league and feels like I’m still a baby so time’s not going to slow down — it’s probably going to go faster now.
“I’m just looking for success and just continually trying to learn and grow as a player and person in general.”
