Papali’i’s huge pay cut

Former Warriors forward Isaiah Papali’i’s case as the NRL’s buy of the year has been further strengthened by a report that he took a $200,000 pay cut to join Parramatta. Papali’i, who has been a revelation for the Eels this season, was tipped for big things at the Warriors after making his debut as an 18-year-old in 2017 but a difference of opinion between the club and the player last season over his best position led to him taking up new opportunity across the Tasman. Fox Sports has since revealed that the move came with a huge financial sacrifice for the 22-year-old, who was reportedly earning upwards of $350,000 last year. His two-year deal with the Eels is worth around $150,000 a season, according to the report.

British driver George Russell has issued a public apology to Valtteri Bottas for his behaviour after their high-speed collision at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in Italy. Russell and Bottas crashed as they battled for ninth place in Imola while travelling at more than 300kmh. Russell, who felt Bottas had driven dangerously, called the Finn a ‘‘f ..... g p..k’’ before confronting him and slapping him on the helmet. Neither driver was hurt and stewards declared it a racing incident. ‘‘Yesterday wasn’t my proudest day,’’ Williams driver Russell, 23, said in a statement on social media. ‘‘Having had time to reflect on what happened afterwards, I know I should have handled the whole situation better. I apologise to Valtteri, my team, and anyone who felt let down by my actions.’’