The NRL market has been in full swing for 2023 with several stars switching clubs ahead of the new season.
NRL.com takes a look at the major transfers and how your club will benefit from a star arrival.
Isaiah Papali’i (Wests Tigers)
- Age: 24
- Position they'll fill: Second row
- Contracted until: 2025
What Papali’i will bring
Former Parramatta forward Isaiah Papali’i arrives to Wests Tigers in slightly different fashion to when he first departed the Warriors in 2020 for Sydney’s west.
Papali’i was a fringe forward at best when Brad Arthur first signed the 24-year-old for a two-year stint that would in the end change his career forever.
Papali’i is one of the most improved and damaging forwards in the game and turns up to Concord as a player who is a consistent and marquee man.
In 2022, Papali'i got through plenty of work in his 28 appearances for the Eels, finishing in the NRL's top 10 in several statistical areas - most runs (fifth - 426), most contact metres (fourth - 1,465m) and most tackles (sixth - 983), while he was 13th for most offloads with 37.
He finished with nine tries, five try assists, 10 line break assists and 12 line breaks, in a year that saw him end up back in the international fold with the Kiwis under Michael Maguire.
Why it will work
You only have to look at where Wests Tigers ranked in 2022, not only on the ladder but in the basic attacking stats areas (metres, post-contact, line breaks) to know that Papali'i is going to improve those numbers immediately.
While there was initial uncertainty around whether the former Eel would actually commit to the switch after a big final year at Parramatta, he has now settled into his new club and there is no reason why he can't be one of the signings of 2023.
Wests Tigers have been crying out for leaders, particularly in their engine room, and Papali’i should provide plenty of support on the right edge alongside five-eighth Adam Doueihi.
The further signings of Api Koroisau, David Klemmer and John Bateman should also take initial heat off Papali'i to hit the ground running.
After a big World Cup campaign, this next move for Papali'i will allow him to take on a new challenge and continue to develop into one of the best second-rowers in the game.