Tigers’ Papali’i to miss eight weeks; Roosters blood rookie Steep
Updated May 30, 2024 — 5.10pmfirst published May 27, 2024 — 8.16am
Wests Tigers star Isaiah Papali’i will miss the next two months after undergoing tightrope surgery following a contentious hip drop tackle that landed North Queensland’s Valentine Holmes in the sin bin.
Papali’i will miss the next eight weeks, and the majority of his last season at the joint-venture, in a hammer blow for Benji Marshall’s struggling side.
The Tigers have lost eight in a row to slide to a sit only above the Rabbitohs on the NRL ladder, with this week’s bye offering rare reprieve given the club’s lengthy list of missing stars.
Papali’i joins John Bateman (pec), David Klemmer and Aiden Sezer (suspensions) on the sidelines, while centres Justin Olam and Brent Naden will be available next Thursday against the Dragons after serving their own bans.
The Tigers are hopeful Papali’i will be able to return by the end of July, though a recovery around the 10-week mark is not out of the question either.
The
Kiwi international will join premiers Penrith next season after the
Panthers bought out the final year of his $750,000-a-season Tigers contract, a release CEO Shane Richardson said was “about getting our salary cap in better shape”.
Holmes was sin-binned for his tackle on Papali’i last weekend in the Cowboys 42-28 win, before paying an $1800 fine for a grade 1 dangerous contact charge.