Nelson Asofa-Solomona (born 29 February 1996) is a New Zealand professional
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...
footballer who plays as a for the
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm is a rugby league football club based in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia that participates in the National Rugby League (NRL). The club plays its home games at AAMI Park, and wears a purple and navy blu ...
in the
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League (also known as the NRL Telstra Premiership for sponsorship reasons) is a professional rugby league competition in Oceania which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria (state), Victoria, the Austral ...
(NRL) and
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
at international level.
Asofa-Solomona won the
2017 NRL Grand Final
The 2017 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2017 National Rugby League season and was played on Sunday October 1 at Sydney's ANZ Stadium. The match was contested between minor premiers the Melbourne Storm ...
and the
2020 NRL Grand Final
The 2020 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2020 National Rugby League season held at Sydney's ANZ Stadium on October 25. The match was contested between minor premiers Penrith Panthers and second-placed Me ...
with
Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
.
Early life
Asofa-Solomona was born in
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...
,
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
, both of his parents having moved there from their native birthplace
Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa and known until 1997 as Western Samoa, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania, in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu), two smaller, inhabited ...
He is the first cousin of
Wests Tigers
The Wests Tigers is an Australian professional rugby league football team, based in the Inner West of Sydney and South Western Sydney. The Tigers have competed in the National Rugby League (NRL) since being formed at the end of the 1999 N ...
Ken Maumalo.
Asofa-Solomona grew up playing
rugby union
Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...
for Upper Hutt Rams before playing
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...
. He played his junior rugby league for the
Upper Hutt Tigers and
Wellington Orcas
The Wellington Rugby League Team (also known as the Wellington Orcas) are a rugby league team that represents the Wellington Rugby League in New Zealand Rugby League competitions. They currently compete in the National Competition.
History
1 ...
junior representative team while playing rugby union at
Wellington College. He was then signed by the
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm is a rugby league football club based in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia that participates in the National Rugby League (NRL). The club plays its home games at AAMI Park, and wears a purple and navy blu ...
at 15 years of age.
Personal life
Asofa-Solomona briefly trialled
veganism
Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products and the consumption of animal source foods, and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. A person who practices veganism is known as a vega ...
, however found it did not work with his dietary requirements. Asofa-Solomona has, on multiple occasions, spoken of the influences his family has had on him throughout the years. In 2018, he stated that being able to provide for his family was one of the main perks of playing rugby league for the Melbourne Storm. Asofa-Solomona has several tattoos, notably two Samoan designs - one on his right leg and one covering his right forearm. He has stated that the flowers in his leg design are a tribute to his sisters and the women in his life.
Asofa-Solomona has four dogs: two dachshunds, a husky & a Staffordshire bull terrier.
Playing career
2014
In 2014, Asofa-Solomona played for the Melbourne Storm's
NYC team. On 2 September, he was named at second-row in the 2014 NYC Team of the Year. On 18 October, he played for the
Junior Kiwis
The Junior Kiwis side represents New Zealand in the sport of rugby league. They are commonly known as the Junior Kiwis, after the native bird of that name.
Since 2010, they are an under-20s side, with players selected from the NRL, Intrust Sup ...
against the
Junior Kangaroos
The Junior Kangaroos side represents Australia in the sport of rugby league. They are commonly known as the Junior Kangaroos, after the native marsupial of that name.
Since 2019, they are an under-23 side, with players selected from the NRL. Th ...
at second-row in the Kiwis' 15–14 win at
Mount Smart Stadium
Mount Smart Stadium, currently known as Go Media Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium in the suburb of Penrose, Auckland, New Zealand. It is the main home ground of the New Zealand Warriors of the National Rugby League a ...
.
2015
In 2015, Asofa-Solomona graduated to Melbourne's
Queensland Cup
The Queensland Cup, currently known as the Hostplus Cup for sponsorship reasons, is the highest-level regional rugby league, rugby league football competition in Queensland, Australia. It is run by the Queensland Rugby League, Queensland Rugby ...
team,
Sunshine Coast Falcons
The Sunshine Coast Falcons are a rugby league football team based on Queensland's Sunshine Coast. They compete in the Queensland Cup and their home ground is Sunshine Coast Stadium. The Falcons are currently affiliated with the NRL team Melbo ...
. In Round 8 of the
2015 NRL season
The 2015 NRL season was the 108th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 18th season of the National Rugby League in Australia and New Zealand. The season started in New Zealand with the annual Auckland Nines, which was followe ...
, he made his
NRL
The National Rugby League (also known as the NRL Telstra Premiership for sponsorship reasons) is a professional rugby league competition in Oceania which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria (state), Victoria, the Austral ...
debut for the
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm is a rugby league football club based in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia that participates in the National Rugby League (NRL). The club plays its home games at AAMI Park, and wears a purple and navy blu ...
against the
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Sydney's Northern Beaches. They compete in the National Rugby League (NRL). The Manly club debuted in the 1947 New South Wales Rugby Football League sea ...
, playing off the interchange bench in the Storms' 12–10 loss at
AAMI Park
The Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, currently known as AAMI Park for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium located in the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct in the suburb of East Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victor ...
. On 2 May, he again played for the Junior Kiwis against the Junior Kangaroos, playing at prop in the Kiwis' 22–20 loss at
Cbus Super Stadium. In Round 20 against the
St George Illawarra Dragons
The St. George Illawarra Dragons are an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing both the Illawarra and St George regions of New South Wales. The club has competed in the National Rugby League (NRL) since 1999 after a j ...
, he scored his first NRL career try in Melbourne's 22–4 win at
McLean Park
McLean Park is a sports ground in Napier, New Zealand, Napier, New Zealand. The two main sports played at the ground are cricket and rugby union. It is one of the largest List of cricket grounds in New Zealand, cricket grounds in New Zealand.
...
. He finished off his debut year in the NRL having played in 12 matches and scoring one try.
2016
On 1 February, Asofa-Solomona was named in Melbourne's
2016 NRL Auckland Nines
The 2016 NRL Auckland Nines (known as the Downer NRL Auckland Nines due to sponsorship) was the third NRL Auckland Nines competition. It was held on 6–7 February 2016 at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand. As with previous tournaments, it wa ...
squad. Asofa-Solomona finished the
2016 NRL season
The 2016 NRL season was the 109th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 19th season run by the National Rugby League. The season started in New Zealand with the annual Auckland Nines, and was followed by the All Stars Match, ...
with him playing in 15 matches for the Melbourne club.
2017
In February 2017, Asofa-Solomona was named in the Melbourne squad for the
2017 NRL Auckland Nines
The 2017 NRL Auckland Nines (known as the Downer NRL Auckland Nines due to sponsorship) was the fourth NRL Auckland Nines competition. It was held on 4–5 February 2017 at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand. Just like previous tournaments, it ...
.
In April 2017, Asofa-Solomona was called into the
New Zealand Kiwis
The New Zealand national rugby league team () has represented New Zealand in rugby league since 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name. The team's colours ar ...
squad with a view to making his international debut against the
Kangaroos
Kangaroos are marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use, the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern grey ...
but had to withdraw due to a hand injury. On 6 July 2017, Asofa-Solomona extended his contract with the Melbourne Storm to the end of the
2019 NRL season
The 2019 NRL season was the 112th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 22nd season run by the National Rugby League. The Sydney Roosters became the first team to win back-to-back Premierships since the Brisbane Broncos in 1992 ...
. On 1 October 2017, in Melbourne's
2017 NRL Grand Final
The 2017 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2017 National Rugby League season and was played on Sunday October 1 at Sydney's ANZ Stadium. The match was contested between minor premiers the Melbourne Storm ...
against the
North Queensland Cowboys
The North Queensland Cowboys is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, the largest city in North Queensland. They compete in Australia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL).
Sinc ...
, Asofa-Solomona played off the interchange bench in the 34–6 victory. Asofa-Solomona finished his successful 2017 NRL season with him playing in 26 matches and scoring four tries for Melbourne. On 5 October 2017, Asofa-Solomona was named in the New Zealand Kiwis 24-man squad for the
2017 Rugby League World Cup
The 2017 Rugby League World Cup was the fifteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup tournament and took place in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea between 27 October and 2 December 2017. The tournament featured the national teams ...
. On 28 October 2017, Asofa-Solomona made his international test debut for
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
against
Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa and known until 1997 as Western Samoa, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania, in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu), two smaller, inhabited ...
, where he played off the interchange bench and scored 1 try in the 38–8 win at
Mt Smart Stadium
Mount Smart Stadium, currently known as Go Media Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium in the suburb of Penrose, Auckland, New Zealand. It is the main home ground of the New Zealand Warriors of the National Rugby League a ...
.
2018
Asofa-Solomona was part of the victorious
2018 World Club Challenge and was awarded Man of the Match award. He was also part of the Melbourne Storm team that played in the
2018 NRL Grand Final
The 2018 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2018 National Rugby League season and was played on Sunday September 30 at Sydney's ANZ Stadium. The match was contested between minor premiers the Sydney Roost ...
. Asofa-Solomona was nominated for
Dally M
The Dally M Awards are the official annual player awards for the National Rugby League competition. As well as honouring the player of the year, who received the Dally M Medal, awards are also given to the premier player in each position, the be ...
Prop of the year in 2018. Asofa-Solomona was part of the
New Zealand national rugby league team
The New Zealand national rugby league team () has represented New Zealand in rugby league since 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the Kiwi (bird), native bird of that name. The team' ...
tour of Denver, Colorado, in June 2018. It was the first time that Asofa-Solomona had played in a team with cousin,
Ken Maumalo, professionally.
2019
Asofa-Solomona was awarded two Dally M points for his round one appearance in the victory over the
Brisbane Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Red Hill, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos compete in the National Rugby League (NRL) and play their home games at ...
. He won a popular vote for tackle of the round for his hit on
Matt Gillett. Round two saw Asofa-Solomona score his first try of the season.
Asofa-Solomona played 27 games for Melbourne in the
2019 NRL season
The 2019 NRL season was the 112th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 22nd season run by the National Rugby League. The Sydney Roosters became the first team to win back-to-back Premierships since the Brisbane Broncos in 1992 ...
as the club finished as runaway minor premiers. Asofa-Solomona played in the club's preliminary final defeat against the
Sydney Roosters
Eastern Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club, known as the Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), Eastern Suburbs. The club competes in the National Rugby Lea ...
at the
Sydney Cricket Ground
The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) is a sports stadium in the Moore Park, New South Wales, Moore Park suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is used for Test cricket, Test, One Day International and Twenty20 cricket, as well as, Australi ...
. In October, Asofa-Solomona was involved in an ugly brawl whilst on holiday in
Bali
Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller o ...
. The
NRL
The National Rugby League (also known as the NRL Telstra Premiership for sponsorship reasons) is a professional rugby league competition in Oceania which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria (state), Victoria, the Austral ...
later fined Asofa-Solomona $15,000 and handed him a three-match test ban for New Zealand which saw him miss both matches against Great Britain and Australia. Asofa-Solomona says he reacted violently after it was alleged his Melbourne teammate
Suliasi Vunivalu was coward-punched by an unidentified male.
2020
In the
2020 NRL Grand Final
The 2020 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2020 National Rugby League season held at Sydney's ANZ Stadium on October 25. The match was contested between minor premiers Penrith Panthers and second-placed Me ...
, Asofa-Solomona helped lead Melbourne to victory in their 20–26 win over the
Minor Premiers
A minor premiership is the title given to the team which finishes a sporting competition first in the league standings after the regular season but prior to commencement of the finals in several Australian sports leagues.
Origins
The etymology ...
Penrith. Asofa-Solomona played in 20 games in the
2020 NRL season
The 2020 NRL season was the 113th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 23rd season run by the National Rugby League.
Teams
The lineup of teams remained unchanged for the 14th consecutive year.
; Notes
:
:
:
Pre-season
...
, scoring four tries.
2021
Asofa-Solomona played a total of 17 games for Melbourne in the
2021 NRL season
The 2021 NRL season was the 114th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 24th season run by the National Rugby League.
Teams
The lineup of teams remained unchanged for the 15th consecutive year.
Regular season
Ladd ...
as the club won 19 matches in a row and claimed the
Minor Premiership
A minor premiership is the title given to the team which finishes a sporting competition first in the league standings after the regular season but prior to commencement of the finals in several Australian sports leagues.
Origins
The etymolo ...
. Asofa-Solomona played in two finals matches including the preliminary final where Melbourne suffered a shock 10–6 loss against eventual premiers
Penrith. He scored a try in the match but it was ruled out for obstruction.
2022 & 2023
Asofa-Solomona played 23 games for Melbourne in the
2022 NRL season
The 2022 NRL season was the 115th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 25th season run by the National Rugby League.
Teams
The lineup of teams remained unchanged for the 16th consecutive year. This became the second longest ...
as the club finished 5th on the table and were eliminated in the first week of the finals by Canberra. Following Melbourne's loss to Canterbury in round 2 of the
2023 NRL season
The 2023 NRL season was the 116th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 26th season run by the National Rugby League. The season consisted of 27 competition rounds, the longest in league history, followed by a finals series ...
, it was announced that Asofa-Solomona would miss six weeks with a high grade MCL injury.
He played 20 games for Melbourne in the
2023 NRL season
The 2023 NRL season was the 116th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 26th season run by the National Rugby League. The season consisted of 27 competition rounds, the longest in league history, followed by a finals series ...
as the club finished third on the table. He played in all three finals matches as Melbourne were defeated in the preliminary final by Penrith.
2024
On 21 August 2024, Asofa-Solomona was inducted as a life member of the
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm is a rugby league football club based in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia that participates in the National Rugby League (NRL). The club plays its home games at AAMI Park, and wears a purple and navy blu ...
.
On 24 August 2024, Asofa-Solomona scored a try against the Dolphins in a 48-6 win. He played a total of 19 matches for Melbourne in the
2024 NRL season
The 2024 NRL season was the 117th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 27th season run by the National Rugby League (NRL). The season consisted of 27 competition rounds, followed by a finals series contested by the top eight ...
as the club finished as minor premiers. He missed the clubs
2024 NRL Grand Final loss against Penrith due to suspension.
Honours
Club
*
2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
Minor Premiership
A minor premiership is the title given to the team which finishes a sporting competition first in the league standings after the regular season but prior to commencement of the finals in several Australian sports leagues.
Origins
The etymolo ...
Winners
*
2017
2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly.
Events January
* January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
Minor Premiership
A minor premiership is the title given to the team which finishes a sporting competition first in the league standings after the regular season but prior to commencement of the finals in several Australian sports leagues.
Origins
The etymolo ...
Winners
*
2017 NRL Grand Final
The 2017 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2017 National Rugby League season and was played on Sunday October 1 at Sydney's ANZ Stadium. The match was contested between minor premiers the Melbourne Storm ...
Winners
*
2018 World Club Challenge Winners
*
2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
Minor Premiership
A minor premiership is the title given to the team which finishes a sporting competition first in the league standings after the regular season but prior to commencement of the finals in several Australian sports leagues.
Origins
The etymolo ...
winners
*
2020 NRL Grand Final
The 2020 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2020 National Rugby League season held at Sydney's ANZ Stadium on October 25. The match was contested between minor premiers Penrith Panthers and second-placed Me ...
Winners
*
2021
Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...
Minor Premiership
A minor premiership is the title given to the team which finishes a sporting competition first in the league standings after the regular season but prior to commencement of the finals in several Australian sports leagues.
Origins
The etymolo ...
winners
Individual
*
2014 Melbourne Storm Darren Bell U20s Player of The Year
*
2017 New Zealand Kiwis Rookie of the Year
* 2017 Spirit of ANZAC Medal
*
2018 World Club Challenge Man of the match
* 2024
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm is a rugby league football club based in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia that participates in the National Rugby League (NRL). The club plays its home games at AAMI Park, and wears a purple and navy blu ...
Life Member (#166)
Statistics
source:
References
External links
Melbourne Storm profileNRL profile2017 RLWC profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Asofa-Solomona, Nelson
1996 births
Living people
Junior Kiwis players
Melbourne Storm players
New Zealand national rugby league team players
New Zealand people of Polish descent
New Zealand sportspeople of Samoan descent
New Zealand rugby league players
Rugby league players from Wellington City
Rugby league props
Rugby league second-rows
Sunshine Coast Falcons players
Upper Hutt Tigers players