Stuff Belmore, Jamal Fogarty wants the Canberra Raiders to throw Josh Papali'i a 300-game house party.
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The Raiders halfback fondly remembers the heaving Canberra Stadium crowd of 21,082 for Jarrod Croker's 300th game last year and felt Papali'i was worthy of a similar honour.
Raiders coach Ricky Stuart was keeping his cards close to his chest about whether he will rest his front-row enforcer for Sunday's trip to Belmore to face the Canterbury Bulldogs or give him the week off and play his milestone game at home against Manly the following week.
Stuart will make everyone wait until he names his team to face the Bulldogs on Tuesday.
The fact it's a must-win game for the Green Machine could force Stuart's hand given they're in a battle to play finals - sitting ninth on the NRL ladder and just for-and-against keeping them out of the top eight.
Plus the Raiders' prop stocks are a bit thin with Pasami Saulo (back) ruled out for the season and Corey Horsburgh only returning from suspension through the NSW Cup on Sunday.
![Jamal Fogarty thinks Josh Papali'i should play his 300th game at Canberra Stadium. Picture by Elesa Kurtz Jamal Fogarty thinks Josh Papali'i should play his 300th game at Canberra Stadium. Picture by Elesa Kurtz](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/reqbnGrLXyZFax2TwSi3Na/37ef53b8-0b09-47a5-bd8e-117677a03554.jpg/r0_301_4365_2755_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The resurgent Bulldogs are fifth on the ladder and are a tough prospect for the Raiders, who might need to win at least four of their remaining six games to play finals.
Canberra has a tough run home, with games against top-eight sides Canterbury, the Sea Eagles, the Cowboys, Penrith and the Sydney Roosters.
But Fogarty felt Papali'i deserved to be honoured in front of his home fans - just as Croker was last year when the former Canberra captain was rested from an away trip to Campbelltown to play his 300th game against the Warriors at Canberra Stadium instead.
Papali'i is one of the Green Machine greats, having represented both Queensland and Australia.
"I hope not. He's the third player to notch up that magic number 300 and we saw the turn up that we got for Jarrod Croker last year," Fogarty said when asked if Papali'i would be playing at Belmore.
"Papa's a crowd favourite - he'll probably have half of Logan City down here.
"Put the big fella on ice and give him a home game - he deserves it."
Fogarty's helped turn the Raiders' season around, which threatened to peter out after four straight losses.
But they've won both of their games since the halfback's return from biceps surgery, with both his kicking game and control crucial factors in rediscovering their form.
Losses for St George Illawarra and the Dolphins on Sunday boosted the Green Machine's finals hopes, but Fogarty wasn't letting that distract him.
For him it was an easy formula over the final six rounds.
"It's pretty simple mate, we 've just got to keep winning," Fogarty said.
"If we keep winning it should look after itself.
"We can't rely on other teams to beat other teams or teams to lose.
"We've got to keep showing up each week, making sure we reset at the start of the week, making sure that we're doing all the little things at training and getting our game plan on so when we run over that sideline every single week we're in the best shape we can and we know what's going on.
"We've just got to win."
Fogarty deflected any credit for turning the Raiders' season around when he returned from his long lay off.
Not so Raiders coach Ricky Stuart, who knows the importance of his 34-year-old No.7.
Fogarty's long kicking game has opposition outside backs' heads spinning at times, but he also brought a cool head to the goal-kicking tee as well - nailing six from six in the 32-12 victory over Souths on Sunday night.
He spent three months out after injuring his biceps against Brisbane in round seven.
Fogarty had second-rower Zac Hosking (shoulder) in the rehabilitation group for company, with the pair both returning in the win over the Warriors - which ended a four-game losing streak.
He said the break allowed him to come back mentally refreshed - something he felt would benefit him in the sprint to the finals.
"One thing I was able to do was mentally reset," he said.
"I didn't have to prepare to play every single week, riding the results.
"I was able to come into training, bring in some fresh energy and try and stir the boys up - something a little bit more light-hearted.
"Because it was so long, for the last month before I was able to come back I was really just narrowing my focus, keeping things simple, making sure I'm making my tackles and getting to a kick, and all good things will come off the back of that for myself."
NRL ROUND 22
Sunday: Canberra Raiders v Canterbury Bulldogs at Belmore, 4.05pm.
NRLW ROUND 2
Saturday: Canberra Raiders v Newcastle Knights at Canberra Stadium, 11am.