Because a new dawn calls for a road run before he gets back inside to get ready for another day of pre-season training with the Canberra Raiders as they chase an NRL premiership.

Come nightfall he wanders through the front door of a gym for a boxing session to cap off a relentless training program that has the 28-year-old feeling close to as fit as ever.

Although Papalii grins "I'm still at the back of fitness" groups at Raiders headquarters.

All of this is with an eye on facing Ben Hannant at the All Stars Rugby League fight night in Townsville on Friday night.

MORE SPORT

Depending on who you talk to, Papalii has stripped up to 15 kilograms from the hulking frame that has turned him into the game's premier front-rower.

Ask the man himself what he is weighing in at and the answer is straightforward.

"Mate, just the same as every year, at 118," Papalii said.

"I haven't dropped any weight or picked up any weight, it just stays the same. It's just a different type of fitness.

"It's been tough, especially with the full-on days at Braddon and trying to find some energy to box. It's pretty tough hey.

"I'm still going to pre-season training and that's pretty full on, and then turning up pretty tired to training with [coach Steve Babic]. I can't tell really, until you start sparring, and you see the fitness side of things.

"If anything, I've gained fitness a bit better."

A fitter Papalii who still boasts that same imposing frame serves as something of a warning shot to both Hannant and rival NRL sides as they plot his downfall.

Hannant has called upon boxing great Michael Katsidis to fuel his training camp, while Papalii has turned to wrestling coach Babic and teammates Dunamis Lui and Curtis Scott.

"It's pretty tough. We haven't had too much sparring. We've turned up to sparring sessions and sparring partners haven't been there," Papalii said.

"I had my third or my second spar the other day and it's just all new for me. I have had to do body sparring with Nami and Curtis. Those two boys have just been there from the start.

"Whenever boys don't turn up for sparring, those two are always there to help me out. They're pretty good, hey.

"Nami and Curtis love it. Nami has a brother who boxes and Curtis is just mad and loves boxing itself. They're both pretty handy.

"I've been with Babs for six or seven weeks straight now, and if I haven't seen him I've talked to him on the phone.

"We're trying to build that relationship where if his voice tends to say something, I listen."

Papalii's foray into boxing has already set tongues wagging around the capital with Capital Fight Promotions chief Nick Boutzos keen to have the star Raider fight professionally.

Boutzos' dream is to have Papalii fight once or twice every off-season in the hope of building him up to an ANBF Australian heavyweight title shot.

Papalii would be a major drawcard with Boutzos and Lonergan working to lock in a pay-per-view show in the capital this year.

But those plans may well hinge on how Papalii feels when he walks out of the ring on Friday night with Hannant in the rear-view mirror.

"Maybe, not right now," Papalii said when asked if he would consider fighting professionally.

"This is probably a one-off for now, but hopefully if another opportunity comes back up I would be happy to give it a shot. At this stage it's just this one. I'm pretty excited, pretty nervous at the same time. Pretty confident as well, just mixed emotions."