Josh Papali'i pleads not guilty over alleged Raiders Gungahlin club incident

Canberra Raiders’ prop Josh Papali’i will fight his two charges. Photo: Liv Cameron.

The defence lawyer for Canberra Raiders’ prop Josh Papali’i has said his client will plead not guilty to charges laid over an alleged incident at the Raiders Gungahlin club earlier this year.

The 32-year-old rugby league star had been issued charges of intimidating police and failing to quit a licensed premises.

He did not appear in person when his matter returned to the ACT Magistrates Court on Thursday (28 November), with his lawyer, Tom Taylor from Hugo Law Group, saying he was not on bail.

Mr Taylor entered not guilty pleas to both charges on behalf of his client.

He said there were possibly seven police officers as well as five civilian witnesses in the matter and he hoped his defence team would be able to narrow the legal issues and prevent a multi-day hearing once the brief of evidence had been served on them.

The lawyer said he had received some footage of the alleged incident.

The matter was adjourned to 6 February 2025 for a pre-hearing mention.

Josh Papali’i did not face the ACT Magistrates Court in person on Thursday. Photo: Michelle Kroll.

ACT Policing has previously said officers responded to a call for help at Raiders Gungahlin at around 3 am on 16 September 2024.

Police had received reports that three men were allegedly behaving aggressively towards each other and staff, as well as throwing glasses.

When the officers arrived, they were told Papali’i had allegedly been verbally abusive towards a staff member when the group was asked to leave.

Police also then asked the group to leave, but he allegedly became verbally abusive and threatening towards the police officers as well.

“After negotiating with the group, the men left the premises; however, [they] re-entered a short time later,” a police spokesperson said earlier this year.

“Police once again directed that they leave, at which time the man allegedly attempted to further intimidate police before the group departed the area a short time later.”