Cowboys star banned as Eels bulldozer Junior Paulo learns his fate
Parramatta star Junior Paulo has learned his fate from the NRL match review after being put on report for a dangerous tackle.
Eels wrecking ball Junior Paulo has been cleared to play in the NRL Grand final.
Paulo was on Saturday morning given the green light by the NRL match review committee, despite being put on report for a lifting tackle that dumped Cowboys star Peta Hiku into the turf.
The NRL has announced Cowboys co-captain Jason Taumalolo has been hit with a Grade 2 dangerous contact charge for a shoulder charge on Isaiah Papali’i.
It is another hit for the Cowboys, who are still devastated following their loss to the Eels on Friday night in Townsville.
The Eels, who at one stage were trailing 20-14 in the second half, clinched a remarkable comeback victory 24-20 and will now face either the Penrith Panthers or South Sydney Rabbitohs.
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Taumalolo was sent to the sin bin for the hit and faces a three match ban.
It means the star lock will miss the first two games of Tonga’s Rugby League World Cup campaign and a warm-up match.
Speaking to former teammate and Queensland legend Johnathan Thurston on Channel 9 after the 24-20 defeat, Taumalolo struggled to express his emotions.
When asked how he was feeling, the veteran forward responded: “I’m a little lost for words at the moment.”
Pressed further by Thurston, he muttered: “Yeah, yeah pretty disappointing. The guys worked pretty hard, put ourselves in a position to play finals footy, and just fell short. Um, yeah.”
Taumalolo also thanked the club’s dedicated fanbase: “Yeah, half the reason why we’re here and in the position we are is because of the fans. To turn up and support us week in week out …”
Paulo, however, is free to take on either the Panthers or Rabbitohs in the Grand Final.
No hard feelings for grand final rivals
Vibes are high in Kangaroos camp with players going from grand final rivals to good mates ahead of this week’s clash with the Kiwis.
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Teams locked in for Pacific Championships
Mal Meninga has stuck with the same spine that got the job done against Tonga, with the Kangaroos coach hoping for more attacking cohesion in New Zealand.