https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/pa...ward-to-canberra-raiders-20181124-p50i2o.html
Parramatta's Junior Paulo looking forward to Canberra Raiders
David Polkinghorne25 November 2018 — 5:45pm
Initially it was round five circled in the calendar, now Junior Paulo has drawn a ring around an earlier date for when to expect that awkward feeling again.
It's a feeling Junior Paulo knows all too well, but in a warning for the Canberra Raiders the returned Parramatta big bopper just wants to play some football.
He'll come up against his old club for the first time in a pre-season trial at St Marys Leagues Stadium on February 15 and then again at Canberra Stadium on April 14 in the season proper.
It's something the powerhouse prop is getting used to, having made a mid-season switch from the Eels to Canberra in 2016.
The 25-year-old had the unusual experience of playing for the Eels against the Green Machine early in the season, before then taking on Parramatta as a Raider just before the play-offs.
He'll get another chance to catch up with the old mates, although he only saw them a couple of weeks ago at former teammate Josh Papalii's wedding.
"It's a big shock actually. I only had round five pencilled in the calendar. That was the first time we were going to encounter them," Paulo said.
"But it's pencilled in for a lot earlier than that in February [now].
"It'll be something where I'm just looking forward to playing footy again. Already feels like it's been ages.
"Everyone who plays football understands mates are always mates, but once you're out on the footy field it's all about doing the job for the club that you're playing for and also yourself.
"I found it weird when I played against the Raiders in 2016 in the first half of the season and then coming up in the back end of the year having to play Parramatta.
"That was a funny situation, awkward as well, but I guess it will be the same thing to coming back and playing in a different jersey. I'll be looking forward to catching up with a couple of them."
One of those will be Sia Soliola, who Paulo said was like an older brother to him.
Soliola
raised almost $51,000 when he cut his hair for charity Kulture Break last week.
Paulo said there were a lot of things Soliola did that went unnoticed.
Like when he initially came to Canberra to escape the off-field problems that had started to plague him in his first stint with the Eels.
Paulo credited Soliola with helping him get his life back on track.
"He's been that older brother type - I won't say father figure, I won't make him seem that old," he laughed.
"When I came to Canberra there were a few issues that I had to tighten up off the field and he definitely helped me along the way.
"He's had an impact on myself and I've just been grateful to have met him and become close mates with him."
While Paulo has signed on with the Eels for the next four years, there's almost 20 Parramatta players off-contract at the end of 2019 - including halves Corey Norman and Mitchell Moses.
Paulo felt it could prove to be a positive for the beleaguered club with it leading to healthy competition amongst those yet to re-sign.
"A lot of boys are playing for contracts ... there's a lot of healthy competition and any team knows that when there's a lot of competition you can build a team around that," he said.
Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage.
