Raider Papalii suspended for one NRL match

Canberra have handed Josh Papalii a one-match NRL ban on top of his suspension from the Anzac Test over a drink-driving conviction.

The Raiders board on Monday decided the star forward will be unavailable for Canberra’s round-10 clash with Newcastle after he pleaded guilty to drink-driving in an ACT court last week.

In a statement the club said a one-match suspension was significant enough given he had already been stood down by the Kangaroos for Friday night’s Test against New Zealand in Canberra.

Raiders chief executive Don Furner said the board was impressed by Papalii’s remorse when he spoke during a meeting on Monday.

“The board’s decision took into account all of the facts surrounding the incident and the determination today has the best interests of both the club and Josh’s welfare,” Furner said in a statement.

“The board believes Josh has endured a hefty punishment from both the court process and by his omission from the Kangaroos team and believed a further one match suspension was the correct punishment.

“The club will continue to work with Josh in ensuring his welfare remains paramount and will not be making any further comments on what was discussed during this process.”

Papalii played in Canberra’s loss to Canterbury on the weekend, two days after he was fined $1000 and had his licence suspended for eight months over the incident in January.

Monday was the earliest time the Raiders’ board could meet to decide further punishment for the 24-year-old while the NRL moved to dump him from the Kangaroos side before they went into camp.

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