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Scott Bailey

Paulo free to play in NRL grand final

Rampaging Parramatta prop Junior Paulo (c) has been cleared to play in the NRL grand final. (Scott Radford-Chisholm/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

Junior Paulo is free to play in the NRL grand final after the Parramatta prop avoided being charged for his dangerous throw on Peta Hiku.

Paulo was put on report late in the Eels' 24-20 preliminary-final win over North Queensland, leaving the NSW State of Origin star facing a nervous wait.

But his name did not feature on Saturday's charge sheet, meaning he will not even be fined over the tackle.

The news will come as a massive relief for the Eels, who rely heavily on the grunt Paulo and front-row partner Reagan Campbell-Gillard provide up the middle.

However the news is not so good for Cowboys lock Jason Taumalolo and Tonga's World Cup hopes after he was sin-binned in the preliminary-final loss.

The North Queensland co-captain has been handed a grade-two dangerous contact charge for the hit on Isaiah Papali'i and faces a three-match ban.

The 29-year-old will be able to use up one of those matches in a warm-up game with France, before missing Tonga's first group games against Papua New Guinea and Wales.

If the Tongan star was to challenge the ban and lose another match will be added onto the suspension.

Taumalolo at least avoided a longer ban, with the match review committee only deeming it dangerous contact rather than a shoulder charge.

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