Josiah Karapani’s fledgling career was at a crossroads.

Discarded by the South Sydney Rabbitohs, he had been left questioning whether he would ever reach the pinnacle of the NRL.

He took a chance on a move north of the border – a development deal with the Brisbane Broncos, but a likelihood he would spend much of his time battling for the Burleigh Bears in the Queensland Cup.

There were no guarantees.

Now, Karapani is 80 minutes away from tasting NRL premiership success, and in doing so, has kept two 2023 grand finalists – Selwyn Cobbo and Jesse Arthars – on the outer.

“I still can’t explain the emotions I’m feeling at the moment. It just feels unreal,” Karapani says.

“[The Broncos] have done a lot for me, they’re the ones who brought me in and gave me a second chance. I feel like I h

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