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'There's a blade of grass in this!': Paulo's bizarre no try

Canberra forward Junior Paulo missed out on the opening try of his team's clash with Manly when he was held up by a blade of grass.

The prop cut through the Sea Eagles' line and was tackled by multiple defenders as he went to ground under the posts.

While he celebrated with teammates, the referee wanted to check the grounding and, having called it a try, went to the Bunker for confirmation.

Replays subsequently showed Paulo was held up, though there was no daylight (or artificial light, if you will) between the ball and the ground.

"Does he get that down?" asked a shocked Fox Sports commentator Braith Anasta.

"There's a blade of grass in this! It is so close. The knee of (Manly's Apisai) Koroisau, it has to touch grass there. It has to touch grass."

Andrew Voss joked that commentators usually say that "a part of the ball just has to touch the grass" but understood that Paulo would be denied.

"I can honestly say I've never seen this," Voss said.

"If this was a bowling green, that ball would not have touched the ground."

Broncos legend Corey Parker weighed in from the sidelines, calling it a "little bit bizarre".

Only a little bit, Corey?