Junior Paulo can provide the power and muscle Eels have lacked
He arrives as one of Parramatta’s most important purchases for 2019, and man-mountain Junior Paulo has outlined his plan to improve the Eels pack.
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Upon his return to Parramatta, man-mountain Junior Paulo is ready to repay the faith and help transform the Eels forward pack.
Paulo is back this season after two and a half years with Canberra and he and fellow giant Shaun Lane shape as the Eels’ most important purchases for 2019.
The blue and golds have gotten by with a mobile pack of forwards in recent years but in Paulo they’ve signed a player with the ability to blossom into a top-tier prop, as well as provide the power and muscle the Eels lacked in their wooden spoon campaign last year.
Paulo has his sights on upping his minutes and his workrate in his first season back with the Eels and the Samoan behemoth knows he’s put in the work to make it so.
“I want to be able to play big footy, I know I’ve got it in me,” Paulo told The Daily Telegraph.
“I want to be able to get my hands on the ball a lot more, which means getting into the middle and the ruck quite a bit.
“It’s all right when you’re running out wide, you get to run over blokes, but you’ve got to look for the ball, get ball in hand, that’s when I find I’m most effective.
“The fitter I get, the more ball I’ll be able to get.”
Paulo averaged a career high 54 minutes per game in 2017 and was Canberra’s best and most important middle forward.
A leg injury and a stint on the bench cut him back in the playing time and statistical department last season but he’s still a serious loss for the Raiders and a player whose ceiling is in representative football.
Not only does Paulo think he’s capable of playing more minutes than ever before this season, he believes the Eels can help him get there.
“The high-performance and nutrition stuff they have here, it’s second to none It’s been a big change from the last time I was here, the professionalism levels weren’t as up to standard. It’s taken the right turn,” Paulo said.
“I can’t get too ahead of myself, but I need to have a big season.
“I’ve come to a team that sees potential in me and rewarded me with the four years, it’s something I’m looking forward to repaying.
“The group itself is very tight-knit, we’ve had a lot of team bonding sessions and leadership exercise where we’ve been able to work on ourselves and getting closer as a team.
“I think a few of the boys were able to clarify that’s what they were lacking last year, so it’s good to get your front foot forward.”
Paulo is expected to play in Friday’s trial against his old club at St Mary’s Stadium.
The Eels will play several of their stars against the second-string Raiders as they look to get on the front foot for their season opener against Penrith on March 17.
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Originally published as Junior Paulo can provide the power and muscle Eels have lacked
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