Why Kiwi-born league star turned down the Wallabies despite dad's blessing

Nelson Asofa-Solomona had his late dad’s blessing to play for the Wallabies but in the end said he couldn’t leave his “home” at the Storm.

The Kiwi giant announced after Melbourne’s 30-22 Anzac Day win over the Warriors that he had re-signed with the NRL club until the end of the 2027 season.

He had fielded offers from the Dolphins and also Rugby Australia, with Wallabies coach Eddie Jones and chairman Hamish McLennan hoping to lure him across.

Asofa-Solomona, who played rugby in New Zealand as a junior, said he was very tempted to go to the 15-man game.

He said his father Vasa, who passed away in January last year, had backed a move to the Wallabies.

“I’m very grateful that Eddie (Jones) and Hamish (McLennan) looked at me and I was seriously having a look at rugby,” the 27-year-old said.

“I felt like I’ve given a lot to rugby league and I thought I was a good chance to go to rugby.

“Of course, I’m a very proud Kiwi, but at the end of the day, my mum and dad get the last say in everything I do in my career.

“Before my dad passed away, he said ‘I just want you to be happy, I don’t mind if you play for the Wallabies’.

“At the end of the day, I love the Storm too much – this is my home.

“I know my mum and dad will be pretty happy and I’m really happy to be staying on with the club for another four years.”

Asofa-Solomona showed why he was in such high demand with a barn-storming performance at AAMI Park match in his first game since suffering a knee injury in round two.

He turned momentum the Storm’s way when he came off the bench midway through the first half, earning high praise from coach Craig Bellamy.

Asofa-Solomona made his NRL debut in the same match back in 2015, which was also the first game his dad attended, and said it was very special to him.

“Whenever I come into these games, I think about my old man and everything that he sacrificed for me to get to this very spot,” he said.

Bellamy said it was great result for the NRL in their ‘code war’ with rugby union, who signed boom youngster Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii.

Bellamy said he didn’t know where the giant prop would land.

“The last four or five days it’s been up and down,” Bellamy said.

“I spoke to the chairman Matt Tripp a couple of times and it was a bit like a rollercoaster – he’s just about ready to sign and 24 hours later it looks like he might be going to rugby.

“There was a lot of interest with rugby union.

“It’s a great result for our club and a great result for rugby league.”

Storm skipper Christian Welch said Asofa-Solomona was popular with his teammates and had emerged as a leader with a number of veterans leaving the club last season.

“This club is probably based on toilers and guys who work hard but probably don’t have the explosive impact of Nelson,” Welch said.

“He’s a real difference-maker for our forward pack and he can really blow that defensive line up.

“I’m really pleased he’s stayed – he’s such a great guy and he could probably pick and choose wherever he wanted to go so we’re really happy to have him.”