Isaiah Papali'i
2nd Row
Player Bio
- Height:
- 182 cm
- Date of Birth:
- 20 September 1998
- Weight:
- 111 kg
- Birthplace:
- Auckland, NZ
- Age:
- 27
- Nickname:
- Ice
- Debut Club:
- New Zealand Warriors
- Date:
- 05 March 2017
- Opposition:
- Newcastle Knights
- Round:
- 1
- Previous Clubs:
- New Zealand Warriors, Parramatta Eels, Wests Tigers
- Junior Club:
- -
- Biography:
Isaiah Papali’i is a New Zealand international forward who joined the Penrith Panthers in 2025, bringing with him a reputation as one of the NRL’s elite back-rowers. A former Dally M Second Rower of the Year (2021) and Grand Finalist (2022), he built his career across spells with the Warriors, Parramatta and Wests Tigers.
Papali’i made an immediate impact in his first season at Penrith, playing 23 matches and scoring seven tries while averaging 120 running metres and 26 tackles per game. Debuting as Panther No. 627 in the Las Vegas season-opener, he proved his value through his versatility across the middle and edge.
He finished the season strongly, scoring five tries in his final seven games and playing a key role in the Panthers’ Finals campaign, earning selection as a finalist for the 2025 Merv Cartwright Medal.
At representative level, Papali’i has been a consistent performer for New Zealand since debuting as a teenager, continuing his international career through the 2025 Pacific Championships.
Career
- Appearances
- 189
- Tries
- 40
2026 Season
- Appearances
- 11
Scoring
- Tries
- 2
Attack
- Line Breaks
- 2
- Line Break Assists
- 3
Passing
- Offloads
- 16
Defence
- Tackles Made
- 362
- Tackle Efficiency
-
Running Metres
- Average Running Metres
- 123
- Total Running Metres
- 1359
Fantasy
- Total Points
- 574
- Average Points
- 52.2
2026 Season - By Round
| Round | Opponent | Score | Position | Minutes Played | Tries | Goals | 1 Point Field Goals | 2 Point Field Goals | Points | Try Assists | Linebreaks | Tackle Breaks | Post Contact Metres | Offloads | Receipts | Tackles Made | Missed Tackles | Total Running Metres | Hit Up Running Metres | Kick Return Metres | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Broncos | Won | 0 - 26 | 2nd Row | 67 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 4 | 46 | 1 | 16 | 28 | - | 112 | 112 | - |
| 2 | Sharks | Won | 26 - 6 | 2nd Row | 80 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 3 | 48 | 2 | 16 | 37 | 3 | 134 | 127 | - |
| 3 | Roosters | Won | 4 - 40 | 2nd Row | 62 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 1 | 33 | 1 | 21 | 29 | 2 | 106 | 106 | - |
| 4 | Eels | Won | 48 - 20 | 2nd Row | 80 | 1 | - | - | - | 4 | - | 1 | 4 | 47 | 1 | 19 | 35 | 5 | 129 | 129 | - |
| 5 | Storm | Won | 50 - 10 | 2nd Row | 67 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 51 | 2 | 18 | 27 | 2 | 102 | 102 | - |
| 6 | Bulldogs | Lost | 32 - 16 | 2nd Row | 80 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | 57 | - | 29 | 27 | 3 | 154 | 154 | - |
| 7 | Dolphins | Won | 22 - 23 | 2nd Row | 74 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 34 | 3 | 16 | 39 | 2 | 87 | 87 | - |
| 8 | Knights | Won | 12 - 44 | 2nd Row | 75 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | 54 | - | 19 | 31 | 6 | 145 | 145 | - |
| 9 | Sea Eagles | Won | 18 - 16 | 2nd Row | 65 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 30 | - | 17 | 34 | 2 | 73 | 73 | - |
| 10 | Raiders | Won | 18 - 30 | 2nd Row | 68 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 2 | 62 | 3 | 20 | 36 | 5 | 156 | 156 | - |
| 11 | Dragons | Won | 28 - 6 | 2nd Row | 80 | 1 | - | - | - | 4 | - | - | 4 | 55 | 3 | 24 | 39 | 2 | 157 | 157 | - |
Career By Season
| Year | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | Win % | Tries | Goals | 1 Point Field Goals | 2 Point Field Goals | Points | Kicking Metres | Kicking Metres Average | Forced Drop Outs | Linebreaks | Offloads | Tackles Made | Missed Tackles | Tackle Efficiency | Total Running Metres | Average Running Metres | Kick Return Metres | Total Points | Average Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warriors | 2017 | 5 | 1 | 4 | - | 20% | 1 | - | - | - | 4 | 15 | 2.96 | - | 1 | 2 | 77 | 4 | 95.06% | 156 | 31.00 | - | 110 | 22.0 |
| Warriors | 2018 | 20 | 12 | 8 | - | 60% | 3 | - | - | - | 12 | 18 | 0.92 | - | 1 | 12 | 580 | 42 | 93.25% | 1,555 | 77.00 | 18 | 754 | 37.7 |
| Warriors | 2019 | 23 | 8 | 14 | 1 | 35% | 2 | - | - | - | 8 | 46 | 2.00 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 887 | 68 | 92.88% | 1,685 | 73.00 | 7 | 974 | 42.4 |
| Warriors | 2020 | 15 | 4 | 11 | - | 27% | 1 | - | - | - | 4 | - | - | - | 2 | 4 | 463 | 29 | 94.11% | 1,209 | 80.00 | 8 | 593 | 39.5 |
| Eels | 2021 | 25 | 16 | 9 | - | 64% | 7 | - | - | - | 28 | 25 | 0.99 | - | 7 | 30 | 809 | 50 | 94.18% | 3,753 | 150.00 | 153 | 1,543 | 61.7 |
| Eels | 2022 | 28 | 18 | 10 | - | 64% | 10 | - | - | - | 40 | 87 | 3.11 | 2 | 13 | 37 | 983 | 73 | 93.09% | 3,940 | 140.00 | 54 | 1,730 | 61.8 |
| Wests Tigers | 2023 | 23 | 4 | 19 | - | 17% | 2 | - | - | - | 8 | 49 | 2.12 | 1 | 3 | 20 | 750 | 55 | 93.17% | 2,649 | 115.00 | 31 | 1,197 | 52.0 |
| Wests Tigers | 2024 | 16 | 4 | 12 | - | 25% | 5 | - | - | - | 20 | 62 | 3.88 | - | 4 | 12 | 516 | 43 | 92.31% | 1,634 | 102.00 | 6 | 745 | 46.6 |
| Panthers | 2025 | 23 | 14 | 8 | 1 | 61% | 7 | - | - | - | 28 | 34 | 1.50 | - | 8 | 24 | 615 | 48 | 92.76% | 2,782 | 120.00 | 271 | 1,065 | 46.3 |
| Panthers | 2026 | 11 | 10 | 1 | - | 91% | 2 | - | - | - | 8 | - | - | - | 2 | 16 | 362 | 32 | 91.88% | 1,359 | 123.00 | - | 574 | 52.2 |
Career Overall
| Year Start | Year End | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | Win % | Tries | Goals | 1 Point Field Goals | 2 Point Field Goals | Points | Kicking Metres | Kicking Metres Average | Forced Drop Outs | Linebreaks | Offloads | Tackles Made | Missed Tackles | Tackle Efficiency | Total Running Metres | Average Running Metres | Kick Return Metres | Total Points | Average Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warriors | 2017 | 2020 | 63 | 25 | 37 | 1 | 40% | 7 | - | - | - | 28 | 79 | 1.25 | 1 | 6 | 31 | 2,007 | 143 | 93.35% | 4,607 | 73.00 | 34 | 2,431 | 38.6 |
| Eels | 2021 | 2022 | 53 | 34 | 19 | - | 64% | 17 | - | - | - | 68 | 112 | 2.11 | 2 | 20 | 67 | 1,792 | 123 | 93.58% | 7,693 | 145.00 | 207 | 3,273 | 61.8 |
| Wests Tigers | 2023 | 2024 | 39 | 8 | 31 | - | 21% | 7 | - | - | - | 28 | 111 | 2.84 | 1 | 7 | 32 | 1,266 | 98 | 92.82% | 4,284 | 109.00 | 37 | 1,942 | 49.8 |
| Panthers | 2025 | 2026 | 34 | 24 | 9 | 1 | 71% | 9 | - | - | - | 36 | 34 | 1.01 | - | 10 | 40 | 977 | 80 | 92.43% | 4,141 | 121.00 | 271 | 1,639 | 48.2 |
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National Rugby League respects and honours the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on.
