Eels co-captain Junior Paulo learns fate after controversial sin bin against Gold Coast Titans

Junior Paulo was sent to the sin bin during Parramatta’s win over Gold Coast and now the Eels co-captain has learned his fate.

Paulo was sent to the sin bin for this tackle. Image: Getty/Fox

Parramatta co-captain Junior Paulo is set to miss at least one match for the hit that controversially saw him sin-binned in the Eels’ win over the Titans on Saturday night.

In the 61st minute of the game, Paulo laid a bruising tackle on Titans five-eighth AJ Brimson, who was left clutching at his shoulder in agony.

The referee sin-binned Paulo for what he believed to be high contact but closer inspection appeared to show the front-rower first made contact with Brimson’s shoulder.

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Per the NRL’s laws and interpretations manual, a tackle or shoulder charge must involve direct contact with the head or neck in order to warrant a sin bin.

Paulo was sin-binned for his hit. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

To make matters worse for the Eels, the Titans scored a try during Paulo’s time off the field.

On Sunday, the NRL handed Paulo a grade two careless high tackle charge and confirmed he would miss one match with an early guilty plea.

If Paulo unsuccessfully challenges the charge at the judiciary, he will miss two.

Eels coach Brad Arthur was dumbfounded by the on-field referee’s interpretation of the hit.

“It was a good tackle,” he said.

“My job is to teach these players how to tackle. What do I say to Junior there? He’s done everything that we’ve asked him to do. That’s the way I’ve seen it, anyway.

“I’d obviously need to watch it and slow it down. Junior’s worked hard on his target area and we’re not a team that wants to give away penalties.”

Paulo was named Parramatta co-captain this season. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

The commentators were equally surprised with the on-field ruling.

This is a disgrace. No other word to describe it.

— Phil Gould (@PhilGould15) April 9, 2022

“No, he can’t get binned for that surely,” said Fox Sport’s Matt Russell.

“He hits him shoulder to shoulder and it’s the force of the contact that brings Brimson’s head into contact with Paulo … it’s a brutal shot. But I don’t think it’s illegal,” added Michael Ennis, who works for the Eels as a coaching consultant.

The softly-spoken Paulo was surprised with the decision himself.

“I thought it was (harsh) too, I thought I hit him around the shoulder,” he said post-game.

Not everyone was surprised by the referee’s ruling, though.

Sports physiotherapist and NRL injury analyst Brien Seeney said there was “no controversy” about the referee’s decision to sin bin Paulo.

“First contact absolutely shoulder to shoulder, but as the tackle progresses Paulo unfortunately smacks Brimson in the side of the head in the process,” he tweeted.

“There’s no controversy about that being punished in todays game.”

Originally published as Eels co-captain Junior Paulo learns fate after controversial sin bin against Gold Coast Titans