Toa Samoa will have captain Junior Paulo available for their Rugby League World Cup semi-final against Australia after the tournament judiciary issued a warning rather than a suspension.
Paulo was placed on report for a shoulder charge on Tonga winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak during Samoa's narrow 20–18 defeat at CommBank Stadium on Sunday. The incident prompted a confrontation between players, raising questions about whether Samoa would lose one of its senior forwards before the knockout match.
The NRL's published judiciary update lists Paulo's charge as a Grade 1 shoulder charge and records a warning. That leaves him eligible for the semi-final, a significant outcome for a Samoa side preparing to challenge the defending champions.
Paulo's experience and leadership are important in the middle of the field, where Samoa will need to match Australia's physicality and maintain control of possession.
The fixture also offers a rematch of the 2022 World Cup final, when Australia defeated Samoa. This time Samoa have another opportunity to test themselves on the tournament's biggest stage.
Australia meet Samoa at Allianz Stadium in Sydney on Sunday 8 November. For Samoa, keeping their captain available removes one major selection concern, but the challenge of overcoming the Kangaroos remains.
