21 Josiah Karapani

Josiah Karapani hails from South Auckland and, like many around him, grew up playing rugby union before switching codes in high school.

During the COVID-19 period, he found himself at a career crossroads — until a timely call from his uncle encouraged him to move across the ditch and continue his development with the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

Karapani moved to the Broncos in 2024, made his NRL debut later that year, and went on to play nine first grade games in the season.

After a strong stint in the Queensland Cup, he forced his way back into the NRL side midway through 2025 and became a key contributor to the Broncos’ premiership run.

He scored 11 tries, produced 14 line breaks and averaged 162 run metres per game in a breakout season, which earned him a two-year contract extension through to the end of the 2027 season.