Isiah Papali’i

Starting the season on the bench, Eels second-rower Isiah Papali’i made quite a revelation for Parramatta after round eight of competition.

He has proven to be a genuine starter and among the game’s hardest workers.

His stellar performances have been reflected on the VB Hard Earned Index posting the highest index score of round eight with 101.

The former Warrior knows his way to the try-line, having bagged five four-pointers in 2021, but he thrives doing the tough stuff.

Per VB data, Papali’i recorded 168m from 18 runs – 16 of those resulting in a gain of eight or more metres – as well as 42 tackles, three tackle-busts, three offloads, three decoys and two supports.

With those stats, he easily broke through the baseline of hard work given the average index score for his position is 53.3.

Parramatta fans can expect more from the big man in round nine when the unbeaten Eels take on the Roosters at 9.55pm on Friday.

Round nine starts on Thursday with the Rabbitohs facing the Storm at 9.50pm.

[Source: NRL.COM]