NRL grand final: Nelson Asofa-Solomona puts rugby union on backburner
Melbourne forward Nelson Asofa-Solomona has put his rugby union ambitions to the side as he focuses on achieving all he can with Storm.
Back when former Brisbane coach Anthony Seibold was employed by the Melbourne Storm, he was charged one day with jetting across the Tasman to convince a teenage Nelson Asofa-Solomona that his future lay in Melbourne.
Seibold touched down at Wellington airport, walked into the terminal and leafed through the sports section of the local paper. It just so happened the paper that day had listed the top 10 schoolboy rugby union players in the nation.
Hovering at the top of the list was the towering Solomona and rugby union has hovered around him ever since, keen to prise him away from Melbourne. There have been times when Asofa-Solomona has flirted with the rival code and spoken about a desire to pull on an All Blacks jersey.
This week was different. Asked about rugby union on Monday, Asofa-Solomona made it clear that his heart and future lay with the Storm. His family has now followed him to Victoria and he has committed to a long-term deal, tying him to the club for years to come.
“I had a lot of opportunities to go back but I just knew in my heart if I was to leave the game, I just know I haven’t done enough, I haven’t done what I want to achieve in rugby league,” Asofa-Solomona said.
“I would have been doing myself an injustice going back to rugby union. I wasn’t satisfied with one premiership. I am ready to win as many as I can with this successful club. So I never say never, but I am here for a long time.
“My main focus is thinking about the Storm.”
Asofa-Solomona is well and truly settled in Melbourne, although like the remaining members of the Storm club, they have called Queensland’s Sunshine Coast home for much of this season due to the Covid-19 problems in Victoria.
It has meant Asofa-Solomona spending more time than he would like away from his family as well as his four dogs. Adding insult to injury, his extended family will be forced to watch the grand final from the comfort of their lounge room due to the border restrictions that remain in place.
Only those in the Storm bubble will be at ANZ Stadium on Sunday night as Asofa-Solomona and his teammates attempt to atone for the disappointment of their loss to the Sydney Roosters in 2018.
That defeat still stings, something Asofa-Solomona made clear on Monday as he spoke about his desire to win another premiership.
“This is what you play all year for,” he said.
“The boys are really hungry. We have a lot of guys who played in 2018 when we lost to the Roosters. That still hurts. Obviously 2018 does still hurt a bit personally but we have moved on from then.
“We have had a lot of obstacles this year. We have had a motto this year – adapt and overcome. To win a grand final, especially with all we have been through, it is going to be one of the most memorable.”
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