Josiah Karapani, a winger for the Brisbane Broncos, has apologised to his teammates and is working to regain the trust of the club’s leadership following a second recent off-field incident. Karapani was dropped to train with the Broncos' reserve team on Wednesday after coach Michael Maguire omitted him from the squad for the team’s crucial Round 18 match against the Cronulla Sharks at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.
The 24-year-old is due to appear in court on July 21 after allegedly being caught drink driving and speeding in an unregistered vehicle early Sunday morning. This marks Karapani’s second reported breach of conduct within 61 days; earlier this year, he was fined $1,001 by Queensland police for a public nuisance offence in Brisbane’s central business district following a Broncos victory over the Dolphins.
Following that initial incident, Karapani had expressed remorse and committed to improved behaviour, stating “Never again.” However, with this latest development, the player was required to meet with Brisbane’s senior leadership group, which includes captain Ben Hunt, vice-captain Pat Carrigan, Kotoni Staggs, Payne Haas, Adam Reynolds, and Jesse Arthars.
Hunt confirmed that the senior players supported Maguire’s decision to sideline Karapani for the forthcoming match. “We had a conversation about it,” Hunt said. “Kotoni is pretty close with him, so we went and had a good chat with Josiah. He’s been stood down and he knows he’s in the wrong. He also knows it’s the second time he’s made that mistake. You can’t keep making those mistakes or you’ll find your way out of this club pretty quickly.”
Despite the disappointment, Hunt emphasised the leadership group’s willingness to support Karapani in moving forward. “In a little way, it did feel like a betrayal of trust,” he said. “After the first mistake, you felt like he was on the right track and doing everything right, but he’s slipped up again. I really like Josiah. He’s a great fella and he knows he’s made a mistake. We’ve all been young before, so we’ll get around him, look after him and he’ll find his way back.”
Brisbane Broncos management is expected to impose further disciplinary action following the court proceedings, with reports indicating that Karapani will face club fines. His participation in the Round 20 match against the Penrith Panthers remains uncertain.
Meanwhile, Kotoni Staggs has been named captain for the Sharks game in the absence of Adam Reynolds, Pat Carrigan, and Payne Haas, who are unavailable due to injury and State of Origin commitments. Hunt noted the significance of the appointment for Staggs, a former player with a challenging past who has grown into a leadership role within the team. “It’s exciting for ‘Tones’,” Hunt said. “I know he’d love to be the full-time captain of this club because he loves this place.”