The people's champ: Papa takes his place in Raiders folklore

To get an idea of how much Josh Papali'i means to Raiders fans, and what they mean to him, take a peek out of the tunnel at GIO Stadium long after full-time and you'll see Big Papa signing autographs and posing for selfies until every request has been granted.

Having called the national capital home since he was a teenager and now on the verge of his 300th game for the club, the 32-year-old holds a special place in the hearts of the Green Machine faithful.

According to club great Alan Tongue, who was Canberra's captain when Papali'i arrived on the scene in 2011, it is not uncommon for the team song or coach's debrief to be delayed while Big Papa gives his people a moment to treasure.

"Papa really understands where he has come from and how much the game has given him and he appreciates the people," said Tongue, who this year took up the role of Leadership Manager at the Raiders.

"He is very humble and he loves working in the community, that's who he is.

"He will sign every autograph and pose for selfies well after the game is over and the other boys are inside waiting to sing the sing or have a chat to the coach."

As Papali'i prepares to join Jarrod Croker and Jason Croker as the only men to play 300 games for the Raiders, Tongue reflects on the moment when word filtered through of a teenaged tyro with the potential to be something special.

"It was Glen Turner, one of our wellbeing officers at the time, who told me at the start of 2010 about this young guy coming through our system at Souths Logan - a big back-rower who was super skilful and had a good motor on him," said Tongue.

"Glen had just finished playing himself in 2009 so he had a fair understanding of the game and some good 'intel' on the young guys coming through. 

"He knew what he was looking for and he said to me, 'This bloke is 18 and has a real presence about him, his name is Josh Papali'i.

"You always hear those stories about the next big thing and they don't always work out but the next year he was in first grade and I roomed with him on his debut in Melbourne.

"We had a tough year [in 2010] but we actually beat the Storm that day and right from the word go you could see Papa had this calmness and confidence about his ability and the way he goes about his business.

"We knew from day one how good this guy was going to be, he never took a backward step.

"Three weeks later we were down 18-0 against the Broncos and he scored a double to get us back in the game. We lost in extra-time but I remember how brilliant he was at such a young age and I knew I was leaving the club in good hands with guys like Papa and Shaun Fensom and Jarrod Croker."

Across a decorated 14-year career, Papali'i has earned the respect of his peers with tough carries rather than tough talk. Minimum fuss, maximum output has always been his mantra.

Papa is one of those guys who stands beside you and a few quiet words is all he needs

Alan Tongue

"Players love playing alongside him because they know the person that he is.

"He has been heavily involved in the leadership and mentoring of the younger guys coming through. Guys like Trey Mooney, Ata Mariota and Peter Hola have been so blessed to see how a guy like Papa goes about his business.

"His legacy will not only be a huge number of games but it will be that influence on the next crop of guys coming through."

Among a cavalcade of forwards to have benefited from the wisdom of Papa is Hudson Young, who left the Hunter Valley town of Greta as a teenager to try and make his mark in Canberra.

Now in his sixth season and with 113 NRL games to his credit, Young said that having Papali'i to look up to has been a huge help on his journey.

"Just having Papa in the sheds and around you as a teammate gives you great confidence," said Young.

"He's a gentle giant and he's always there to help any teammate. He's such a genuine bloke and we love being around him.

"Not many players get to do this [300 games] so to be part of Josh’s this week feels like it will be a huge thing for the team and the club and the community.

"Sometimes I think we almost try too hard in these milestone games because we care for each other so much and we want to win for our mate... we put in a good performance for Elliott last week [in his 200th game] and we'll be looking to do the same for Josh."

For his part, the man himself will take to a sold-out Belmore Sports Ground and make it all about his team and his mates as they chase another win to keep their finals dream alive.

As he has done for the past 299 games, Papali'i will leave the fuss and fanfare to others as he focuses on the job of hurling himself at the blue and white wall.

"I still think he is playing some of his best footy - the quality is still top shelf," said Tongue.

"It's a credit to his resilience and how he has been able to go about it that he is still going so well.

"He has evolved and worked hard on his game and he is still going.

"He has an amazing ability to absorb the challenge. Nothing fazes him."