With the best part of $1 million to play with, coach Ivan Cleary pursued Titans star Fifita with a $2.5 million, three-year deal with the premiers willing to reshape their forward pack given their varying depth at prop and back row.
The move for Papali’i heralds a similar investment in Penrith’s edges, where Liam Martin already holds status as an elite second-rower on the Panthers right side.
Papali’i’s shift from the Tigers, where he was first signed by Michael Maguire but struggled to replicate his best form under Tim Sheens and then Benji Marshall, heralds the start of a significant roster shake-up at the joint venture.
“This is purely about getting our salary cap in better shape and it’s not a simple thing to do,” Richardson said in a Tigers statement. “Effective salary cap management is so important in this business, and it’s a puzzle you simply must get right if you want to be a successful NRL club.”
Marshall added that he expects Papali’i to see out the rest of 2024 at the Tigers because: “he is a man of high integrity and strong principles, and I know he will continue to live by our standards until he leaves at the end of this season.”
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Richardson flew to the UK on Tuesday night scouting potential signings and seeking expressions of interest from Super League clubs for several Tigers players.
Five-eighth Jayden Sullivan, who is set to earn around $600,000 in the final seasons of his four-year deal, centre Brent Naden and veteran back-rower John Bateman are among those the club is willing to offload in a bid to rejuvenate Marshall’s roster.
Papali’i’s release continues the horse-trading between the two western Sydney outfits, with Jarome Luai and Sunia Turuva to join former teammate Api Koroisau at the Tigers next year.
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