DEWSBURY RAMS chairman Mark Sawyer believes powerhouse forward Pauli Pauli will link up with the club eager to prove he still has plenty in the tank.
The 32-year-old Australian of Samoan descent has signed a one-year contract after three at Doncaster.
Pauli, who is 6ft 6in and tops 20 stones, previously played for Wakefield, Salford and York after representing Parramatta Eels and Newcastle Knights in the NRL.
He was in the New South Wales City side who beat the state’s Country select 20-10 in Mudgee, 160 miles north-west of Sydney, in 2017.
And in 2021, Pauli represented the Combined Nations All Stars when they were 26-24 winners over England at Warrington.
While he has made more than 160 appearances at club level in the UK since joining Wakefield in 2018, he has had a number of injury issues.
Sawyer says Pauli, who lives in Ossett, between Wakefield and Dewsbury, is fully aware of the importance of working hard to stay fit.
“He can make a big difference here, and he has spoken to us about doing as much as he can to make sure he is on the pitch as often as possible,” he explained.
“I think he is coming in with a point to prove about still having plenty to offer, and he’s ready to put in the hard work to make that happen.”
As well as Pauli, who can operate in the front or back row, the Rams have recruited experienced hooker or loose-forward Sam Hallas from Bradford in their bid to build on an eleventh-place finish under coach Paul March.
The 30-year-old, who has also been at Leeds, Newcastle Thunder and Hunslet, has signed a two-year contract.
Halfback Dan Coates has departed after two seasons.
