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Parramatta's front-row power fuels Blues opener
A one-two punch with Junior Paulo has helped Reagan Campbell-Gillard reignite his State of Origin career, with the combination to lead the Blues pack in Game I.
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Reagan Campbell-Gillard reckoned his chance to play State of Origin had passed him by, but the Parramatta front-rower reserved special praise for the impact Junior Paulo has had on his Eels career.
Campbell-Gillard made his Origin debut in 2018 while at Penrith before moving to Parramatta the following year.
Injuries and the form of other props have kept him out of the side, with Paulo one of the forwards who moved ahead of Campbell-Gillard in the pecking order for a NSW spot.
“I thought it had passed me by and I’m lucky to get a shot,” Campbell-Gillard said.
“I still feel there are a lot of better front-rowers. I feel like I’ve been playing the same way each year but can’t put my finger on what it is.
“I am enjoying life outside of football and that’s reflected in how I’m playing.”
Paulo is named to start while Campbell-Gillard will come off the bench on Wednesday night, meaning there may be little time that the pair spend alongside each other on the field.
Regardless, Paulo claimed that Campbell-Gillard’s recall was richly deserved.
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“His form has been outstanding this year and we’ve got a great one-two punch combination,” he said.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to play alongside him at this level. He’s been killing it and you could definitely say that (he is in career best form).”
NSW players enjoyed their last proper rest before the series opener, catching a late-night movie on Sunday night before a day off training on Monday.
They will have a light captain’s run on Tuesday, before close to 80,000 are expected at Accor Stadium on Wednesday night for Sydney’s biggest post-pandemic crowd.
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And Paulo and Campbell-Gillard will enter the arena knowing just how dangerous they can be together.
The pair have built one of the most-effective front-row partnerships in the NRL and as a team, only Penrith have run for more metres than the Eels this season.
Parramatta also top the competition for offloads and completed sets.
A big part of that is how Campbell-Gillard and Paulo get them going forward with the likes of Ryan Matterson, who will make his NSW debut, coming off the bench and continuing that good work.
“Our combination has been building really nicely and it’s the best I’ve had as a front-row partner,” Campbell-Gillard added.
“It’s normally me who is taking the ugly hit-up on play one for Junior, but his skill level is off the charts.
“I just have to get them rolling and I think that’s where he comes in.
“He’s got a great passing game, he is a freak and his skill level is incredible and his soft hands put doubt in the defence.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Starts to be overdone and oversold this systematic SA narrative…which nevertheless has the merit in this case to recognise blatant refereeing mistakes in their favor
2 Go to commentsNice article. Shades of Steinbeck. They can win the final if they take the game seriously; but only if they take it seriously.
2 Go to commentsWhat a sad way to end a glittering career. Somebody should tell him to delete his social media accounts and face the consequences of what he's done. Then he should slip away quietly into obscurity. This isn't likely to happen, something tells me he'll be back in The Sun / Daily Mail sooner rather than later.
3 Go to commentsguys its fine! he understands why he did what he did and has taken accountability for it; why should he have to be accountable to a court? after all he did was abuse people in person - its not as if he was engaging in _online_ abuse!
3 Go to commentsChiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
228 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
3 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
86 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
19 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
30 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
228 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
228 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
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