Dylan Brown and Mitch Moses have been riding the hype train – but the resurgence of Junior Paulo has been just as significant in the Eels’ surprising start to the season.
Widely tipped to claim the wooden spoon, the Eels are 2-1 to start the season, with a round three loss to the Roosters softened in a competitive performance where the lead changed five times in the opening hour.
And, of course, there was this gem of a pass from Junior Paulo.
How's that pass from Junior Paulo. 🤤🤤🤤
— NRL on Nine (@NRLonNine) March 29, 2019
WATCH LIVE: https://t.co/34EtTLyiI3#9WWOS #NRL #NRLEelsRoosters pic.twitter.com/MUumDtCleU
In a 62-minute shift for the Eels, Paulo had 14 runs for 86 metres – 24 of them post-contact.
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The effort – more than the numbers – didn’t go unnoticed by Eels great Peter Sterling.
“Junior Paulo, he’s been great,” Sterling said on Triple M Saturday NRL. “To watch him play the first 35 minutes last week after Parramatta had no football for the first 25 minutes, you’re thinking that the big bloke is going to be putting his hand up [to come off] or Brad Arthur is going to think, ‘oh, we should get him off’, but his motor is just great at the moment.”
“He’s got that little bit of difference, the side step he put on to give Dylan Brown space last week to put away Clint Gutherson for a try…just the footwork for a big man; it’s why a guy like Andrew Fifita has such attraction. He’s a big man with a big motor who can do little things with his feet and hands.
"Not a lot of front rowers can do that.
“He’s been outstanding in the first couple of games, not just in the minutes that he’s played but in the impact that he’s maintained through that time.”
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While expectations were high for Paulo – well, except from us – and his reported $3 million price tag, it appears that the powerful prop is delivering his end of the deal so far.
Paulo played 53 matches for the Eels between 2013 and 2016.
Prior to the 2016 season, the Samoan international announced a two-year deal to link up with the Raiders in 2017, but joined the Canberra side mid-season after he was released by Parramatta.
On his current form, maybe a NSW representative jersey isn’t as far away as it once seemed.
''In the middle of the field… Junior Paulo… because he's the type of 'wrecking ball' player that NSW could use off the bench," Gallen told Triple M in 2017.
"[Aaron] Woods can play big minutes, [Trent] Merrin can play big minutes, [Andrew] Fifita can play big minutes, so a Junior Paulo coming off the bench, [he'll] bust them up for 10 or 15 minutes before halftime would probably be okay."
