Getting punched in the face inside the boxing ring doesn’t scare Parramatta enforcer Junior Paulo.
Whether it’s going toe-to-toe with Paul Gallen in the fight game or playing in the cauldron of State of Origin for NSW or a World Cup final for Samoa, Paulo has never been the type to sidestep the tough carry.
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So is there something, a particular NRL opponent, anything at all that does make big Junior think twice?
“I’m not scared of jumping in the ring I’m just scared of telling my wife and my mum,” the Parramatta Eels co-captain says breaking into a big laugh.
“That rattles me.”
Big Junior will start this NRL season having stripped eight kilograms from his cannon-ball frame thanks to being one of the headline acts on the NRL’s Townsville fight night at the back end of last year.
Paulo only started boxing when he agreed to fight retired NSW and Australian enforcer Gallen back in 2016 and quickly gravitated towards the conditioning associated with the full-on training of getting in the ring.
Still tipping the scales at 117kg, Paulo had off season foot surgery after taking care of Ben Hannant inside the ring then set about ripping straight back into training with an eye on unfinished business in 2024.
There’s no way to sugar coat it the Eels were one of the biggest disappointments of last season off the back of making the grand final in 2022.
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Paulo knows to kick start Parramatta’s season the Eels need to start fast and bank wins so they’re not chasing their tale in circles leading into September.
Paulo and co-captain Clint Gutherson are leading a player driven ethos at the Eels to try and take Parramatta to the next level as an NRL side.
One of the primary messages from the Eels leaders over the course of the summer has been “smarter choices” which is about doing all the little things right in terms of professionalism and preparation.
“It’s been a long pre-season but the way I’m looking at it is it’s a blessing in disguise,” Paulo said.
“We’ve been back at it for 14 weeks now as a result of finishing earlier than we wanted to last year.
“Everyone wants to be playing in September and October but it didn’t work out for us last year so we need to cop it on the chin and learn.
“The positive is we’ve had two really solid blocks of training either side of Christmas and we’ve had a full squad available for the majority of that time.
“This is the fittest our whole squad has been for a long time. Everyone knows how important this year is for us.
“There’s a good feel brewing around the club.”
The foot surgery Paulo had over the off season is normally a four to five month recovery which means the Eels skipper spent plenty of time in the rehab group with fellow co-captain Gutherson.
Both made a point to return to full training well ahead of schedule and aside from having a few beers on Australia Day have been diligent and disciplined.
The Eels co-captain’s will both travel to Ipswich this weekend for Sunday’s final hit out in the NRL pre-season challenge against the Gold Coast Titans.
Will big Junior have another fight at the end of this season?
Too early to call. First things first he’s focused on trying to get the Eels rolling towards ending a premiership drought stretching back to 1986.
MOMENT THAT SPARKED SHOCK DOGS CALL
It didn’t take long for star Canterbury Bankstown recruit Stephen Crichton to announce himself as the club’s new captain.
When the Bulldogs went on a pre-season army camp in Brisbane prior to Christmas it was only the second week Crichton had been at the club.
But the new recruit made such an impression it got Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo thinking about the best way forward.
The ex-SAS armed forces soldiers who run the Brisbane course were all asked who impressed them the most at the end of the three-day camp.
Unanimously, all said Crichton was the standout leader of the group.
Heading into his second season as Bulldogs head coach Ciraldo knew he had a tough decision to make.
At the forefront of his mind was how often previous co-captains Reed Mahoney and Matt Burton had been forced to front the media and answer tough questions last year.
The Bulldogs finished 15th winning only seven games and there were times where Mahoney and Burton had some zingers thrown at them about the club’s lack of performance.
But the army camp in Brisbane was unequivocal – Crichton had shown his true colours and Ciraldo needed to make a hardline call.
The Bulldogs coach spoke to both Mahoney and Burton about the decision and both understood why the coach was going in a different direction.
The Bulldogs coach then broke the news to the rest of the Canterbury-Bankstown playing group on Thursday.
Crichton will lead the Bulldogs out for the first time on Friday when the club hosts Cronulla in the NRL’s pre-season challenge at the blue and white spiritual home of Belmore Oval.
AUSSIE BILLIONAIRE GIVES ROOSTERS THE FULL HOLLYWOOD TREATMENT
The Sydney Roosters are planning to travel to the plush Bel Air $53 million estate of billionaire Afterpay founder Nick Molnar as part of the club’s build-up to the NRL season-opening double-header in Las Vegas.
Molnar, 34, was named Australia’s youngest self-made billionaire in 2022 after creating the global Afterpay empire now worth $14.76 billion.
Molnar played SG Ball at the Roosters many years ago before attending Sydney University and will host the Sydney Roosters entire travelling party including all players, coaching staff, fellow self-made billionaire chairman Nick Politis and several board members.
It’s a nice touch from Molnar to roll out the red carpet and break-up the Roosters week-long training camp in Los Angeles prior to heading to the entertainment capital of the world Las Vegas to launch the new NRL season in the historic double-header.
JWH reveals Super League plans | 01:02
NRL LEGEND’S BOLD CALL ON DEPARTING CHOOK
Champion front row forward Steve “Blocker” Roach has paid Jared Waerea-Hargreaves the ultimate compliment as the Sydney Roosters enforcer prepares to suit-up for one final season at the Tricolours.
JWH will play his 16th straight season in the NRL before heading over to the UK Super League to link with Hull KR.
“He’s as good as all the best frontrower’s who’ve played the game,” Blocker told us.
“I’d put him on par with Shane Webcke and Petero Civoniceva as some of the absolute best from the modern era.
“Aside from Arthur Beetson, he’s the greatest front row forward for the Roosters.
“Sometimes I wonder if people don’t always appreciate it’s a tough role being the alpha male in the hardest position on the field every week.
“To do it for as long as he’s done it for and to be able to adapt with all the changes he would have seen over the course of the last 15 seasons is testament to the player he is.
“The other thing I really like about Jared is he’s a family man and one of the nicest blokes you’d ever meet.”
The link to Hull KR is coach Willie Peters and one of Jared’s great mates and ex-Rooster Shaun Kenny-Dowall who has moved into an assistant role with the club.
It’s not often you hear of front row forward’s negotiating their own playing contracts but in this instance JWH brokered the Hull KR deal independently.
RAVE REVIEWS FOR DES AS NEW ERA DAWNS ON GLITTER STRIP
New Gold Coast Titans coach Des Hasler has been receiving rave reviews from the Titans playing group over the course of the summer.
One of the most entertaining characters in the game, Hasler is also one of the best coaches.
One of Des’s great strengths is the tight-knit bond he builds with his players. The Manly Sea Eagles Stewart brothers – Glenn and Brett – used to delight in putting bananas in the exhaust pipe of Hasler’s car when he was coaching on the northern beaches.
It was a gee up and Hasler always took it as just that.
With Glenn and Brett starring the Sea Eagles went on to win two premierships under Des in 2008 and 2011.
Then when Hasler went had six seasons at the Bulldogs the club made two grand finals and six straight finals series before it wall went pear shaped.
With a roster including Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, David Fifita, Mo Fotuaika and Kieran Foran the Titans might surprise a few people this year.
