Diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, Woodhams and his family were invited into the sheds to meet the Raiders players after a home game against Cronulla on July 18 last year. The Raiders had just lost by a point in extra time and were shattered after letting slip any chance of playing finals. But Jack's courage to soldier on with brain cancer gave Papalii and his teammates perspective. It's just a game of footy, and Canberra fullback Jack Wighton, another of the six-year-old's favourites, handed him the shorts he played in as a souvenir.

The card is one of the last things Papalii sees before he heads out to do battle on the field. Semi Radradra assists Josh Papalii during stretching at the Australia Kangaroos team recovery session before Friday night's Test. Credit:Mark Kolbe "He came into the sheds one day and told me he was one of my biggest supporters and at his funeral there was cards [handed out] where he wrote down all of his favourite players, and I was one," Papalii said. "That inspires me, it was something special I'll remember and it will be in my locker for a long time. Josh Papalii and Blake Austin with Raiders fan Jayden Jacobs at his seventh birthday party in Sydney last year. Credit:Canberra Raiders

"If my daughter was to go tomorrow, I'd want her to look up to me as well." A sports-mad child, the Raiders allowed Woodhams to meet the players and coach Ricky Stuart at a training session after he was diagnosed. A picture of Papalii and young Raiders fan Jayden Jacobs in his locker. He also was invited into the inner sanctum of AFL's Greater Western Sydney Giants, his other favourite football team. Giants head coach Leon Cameron dropped everything to attend his funeral in Canberra and posted on his Twitter account of how deeply Jack's story affected his team.

"It was an absolute honour to get to know Jack Woodhams," he wrote with a picture of Jack's 'footy card'. "His courage left an indelible mark on everyone at the Giants." Papalii is one of the biggest hitters in the NRL, but deep down he's a big softie. A Sydney seven-year-old Ayden Jacobs also features in Papalii"s locker after he wrote him a letter last season.

The young Raiders fan wrote "you're my favourite player. I'll yell out every game 'PAPA' so if you can't see me, you'll hear me." Fairfax Media noticed the letter taped onto Papalii's locker at Leichhardt Oval in April last year. Papalii was expecting to lose his Australian jersey after the win over Wests Tigers after a slow start to the year, and was proven correct. "Whoever sends me a picture or card I try and stick it up and laminate it, and do that for the young kids out there ... it's an inspiration," he said at the time. He's worked hard to earn a recall against New Zealand at Newcastle on Friday, and the children who idolise him have been a big factor. Papalii calls Jacobs 'googly' because of his glasses. He and his father Ben travel to Raiders games in Canberra and regularly catch up with Papalii afterwards.

Raiders five-eighth Blake Austin and Papalii travelled to Sydney for Jacob's birthday party over the pre-season. "He's a kid who keeps giving me presents," Papalii said. "He waits [to see me] after every game and I thought it would die off, but he's done it for two years in a row now. "He's not sick, but you don't have to be sick to be on my locker. "I've been to his birthday parties, he's a kid who invests a lot of time in the Raiders and myself and I thought why not get his face in my locker?

"You don't have to be inspired by sick kids, you can be inspired by kids who live normal lives. "They're just young kids and one day he'll be a role model himself and will understand what it's like [to have one]." Papalii last played for Australia in the 2014 Four Nations final loss to New Zealand at Wellington. He started in the front row, and remained there for the Raiders in early 2015 after he reported for pre-season carrying too much weight. He lost his mojo - the aggressive defence and destructive running he bases his game on.

His professionalism has taken a full 360, having done extras to get rock hard fit and has enjoyed the best start to a season of his career. "I didn't really try and work hard last year and that's why I missed the last Test, I'm pretty happy to be back," he said. "With the weight I carried in 2015 it made it hard, but I didn't think it [Test career] was over. "[The main difference] is playing consistently and understanding what I can do with and without the ball. "Australia has lost the last three Tests against the Kiwis and we want to gain some respect back, that's what the boys are looking forward to.