The Parramatta Eels are pleased to announce that experienced forward Junior Paulo has extended his contract with the Club for a further year until the end of the 2027 season.
One of the most respected players in the NRL, Paulo has been a cornerstone of the Eels' forward pack and leadership group, earning admiration from teammates, coaches and fans alike throughout his distinguished career.
Renowned for his strength, skill and experience, Paulo continues to play a vital role on and off the field, with his influence extending well beyond match day. His leadership, professionalism and commitment to the Club have made him one of the most valued members of the Eels organisation.
Parramatta Eels General Manager of Football Mark O'Neill said retaining a player of Paulo's calibre was a significant outcome for the Club.
"What Junior brings to our team goes far beyond his performances on the field. It is not only his leadership and experience, but he is also an outstanding role model, a family man, mentor to our younger players and someone who helps drive the standards and culture of our club every day." O'Neill said.
"He's incredibly well respected throughout the game and, more importantly, he's well-loved within our organisation. Keeping someone of Junior's character and quality at the Eels is extremely important for our future and we're delighted he'll continue his journey with us.”
Paulo began his rugby league journey with the Cabramatta Two Blues and developed through the Parramatta Eels Academy before making his NRL debut with the Club in 2013. He has become just the 14th player in Parramatta’s history to reach the 200-game milestone in the Blue and Gold jersey, finishing the 2026 season with 280 NRL appearances to his name.
His outstanding career has also included representative honours for New South Wales in State of Origin, and he has proudly captained Toa Samoa on the international stage, most recently leading his nation at the 2026 Rugby League World Cup commencing this week.
Replies
Yep. Love it
Well " Junz " disagrees with you mate. Until he got his life lesson in stuffing clubs around , he thought he deserved to finish his career in Perth . Eels were a distant memory .
Im not against the signing , just a bit disappointed we didnt wait until after the WC to set an example .
This year could be great if he wants to go round again and is playing for a contract .
Im not sure why he gets all the nostalgia love , Hes been quite a poor example of a clubman over the years. So meh ...
Good, that's finished now. We did have the leverage and seems he finally agreed to the terms before WC just to get it out of the way.
Samoa are training at Kellyville so good time to do it.
I was just about to mention the WC . So if he gets injured he's on full pay now until he can play for Parramatta again ?
Yes ill be the negitive nancy here . Id have made him sweat until after the WC . We had all the leverage and seemingly caved . Lets hope it's a modest contract .
At least it is one year and we didn't cave for a 2nd year unless we added a clause in our favour.
Yeah least its only a year . But i would not be shocked if there is some kind of option . He did want two years . I dont mind havjng him on our books , i just dont like the way he operates .
I wonder if we added a clause in there Wiz? I would have hoped so....but then again MON
Hopefully the clause was
- no consorting with murderers , drug dealers or terrorists
- no playing paid rugby union games when sitting out Eels games injured
- no plodding when you're not playing for a new contract
- if you injure your knee we asked you to rehab instead of playing in a nothing WC you don't get paid a cent .
Just looked at the Parra squad on Zero Tackle and with Jnr signing it is showing we now have 29 players contracted for 2027. Is that right? Obviously, this could change if we lose Fox and Joash.
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