Nelson’s giant steps from school to NRL
Melbourne Storm’s Kiwi prop Nelson Asofa-Solomona is remembered fondly as a superb athlete with a soft side by his Wellington College first XV coach, reports Mark Geenty.
He always talked about having a passion for playing rugby for the All Blacks. That drawcard will always be there.’ FORMER COACH LINCOLN RAWLES
THE file photos still require a few second glances. If the term man against boys was ever more apt on the sporting field, it was when Nelson Asofa-Solomona laced up the boots for Wellington College.
At 2m tall and 118kg, by his first XV rugby coach’s measure, he had three centimetres and a few kilos on a certain Sonny Bill Williams, and all the skills before he’d even left school.
Lincoln Rawles first laid eyes on Asofa-Solomona in his first year and he made an impression before rugby season had even started.
‘‘I certainly remember his arrival and as a young athlete he set the McEvedy Shield [interschool] throwing events on fire. He broke our school records at discus and was pretty useful at shot put as well.’’
As Wellington College’s under15 coach then, Rawles got to see Asofa-Solomona destroy much smaller rivals first hand, early on. Already, though, league had pounced before the lad’s 15th birthday.
Playing for Upper Hutt Tigers, Asofa-Solomona had attracted the attention of Melbourne Storm scouts and he aligned with the club till he officially signed in 2013, his last year of school.
‘‘From when he was 14 he was already doing camps in Melbourne. That experience from the training and professionalism, that helped him become a really positive leader for us. By his final year he was leading an extra session on a Monday morning and all the players would come along,’’ Rawles said.
Rawles became first XV coach as young Nelson graduated to the the school’s top side in 2012 when he was 16. The biggest thing was harnessing Asofa-Solomona’s immense ability and fitting him into the team pattern. ‘‘He was pretty exuberant’’. It all clicked, and in 2013 they won the Wellington title and made the national semifinals.
‘‘I remember one of those early games on TV, a traditional against Rongotai, and he just unloaded. A lot of his offloads hit their targets and his bonecrushing tackles and those devastating carries that were his real trademark in his time playing rugby at school,’’ Rawles said.
‘‘No 8 was his spot. He had the height and played the odd game as a lock, but we were always trying to work out where best to play him. There was discussion at one stage about playing him in the backline where he was a handful but he was just too far away from the ball. We kept him close to the action.
‘‘From memory he averaged one-and-a-half tries per game in a season of 19 games. He was scoring them from everywhere.’’
He was no one-trick pony, either. Sure he busted tackles, hit hard and produced miracle offloads, but his aerial skills were remarkable, too. Lineout lifters had no problem hoisting him and he’d be a menace at every kickoff.
‘‘He played a bit of AFL as a junior. He probably could have gone that route if he’d had the desire but I think the physicality of the 13 and 15-man codes was where he wanted to be,’’ Rawles said.
‘‘Boys often ask who was the best player we’ve had, and it’s hard to compare when you’ve got the likes of [All Blacks] Lima Sopoaga and Jeff To’omaga-Allen who were great in their positions, but as an athlete - at 2mtall and 118kg - to be able to do the things he could do… you don’t often get that at first XV level.’’
Then, he was gone, across the ditch for fame and fortune in Melbourne. Tonight he’ll trot onto ANZ Stadium for the NRL grand final at 21 - with staples in his head holding together a nasty cut - a year after he was cruelled from the decider by a dislocated elbow.
An All Blacks jersey would fit extremely well, you’d imagine. Asofa-Solomona was off contract this year and the Hurricanes asked the question, before he resigned for two more years. He’s still young and rugby is sure to come calling for the 2020 season.
‘‘He always talked about having a passion for playing rugby for the All Blacks. That drawcard will always be there but it will be a tougher one the longer he stays in that fantastic environment that seems to be there in Melbourne,’’ said Rawles.
‘‘As his understanding of what they want from him has improved, he’s got more game time and got better and better.’’
All going well, Asofa-Solomona could be home in November to play a World Cup quarterfinal for the Kiwis on the ground he used to watch the Hurricanes play as a kid.
Rawles will tune in tonight still marvelling at his former charge’s ability. Asofa-Solomona described himself this week as ‘‘a big teddy bear’’ off the field, an owner of two dogs named Lulu and Flower. Rawles laughs.
‘‘A very big teddy bear. He’s got a playful nature and he’s really keen to keep people happy. He’s got a neat way of relating to his mates and the people who matter to him most.’’
A gentle giant, then. Probably little comfort to any Cowboys defenders blocking his path tonight.