Canberra forward Junior Paulo will miss the club’s opening-round fixture with North Queensland after he was convicted of common assault and reckless driving last year.
Paulo pleaded guilty to the charges in a Sydney court in October, relating to a 2015 incident where he tailgated a man before attacking him.
Canberra, in consultation with the NRL, confirmed they had suspended Paulo from the weekend’s Auckland Nines and that he was not made available for All-Stars selection, along with missing the one NRL match.
“The Raiders believe in upholding the integrity of the game and we’ve worked closely with the NRL to determine this outcome for Junior,” Raiders’ chief executive Don Furtner said.
Canberra were aware of the incident when they signed the 23-year-old from Parramatta midway through last season, with his exit from Sydney considered a key part of helping turn his life around.
He was also figured alongside fellow NRL players Corey Norman and James Segeyaro in a photograph with accused criminals and bikies.
His suspension will come as a massive blow to Canberra because North Queensland boast one of the biggest forward packs in the league.
Paulo averaged more than 110m per game after moving to the club last year as the Raiders surged into the preliminary finals.
He will still be able to play in the club’s trial against Newcastle on February 18 as part of his pre-season preparations.
Paulo was also fined $300 and disqualified from driving for a year over the incident and will have to complete club-sanctioned community service.
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