For test selection
Matulino big on Tigers’ Cleary factor
what he is capable of. We just need to see that a bit more consistently. He knows that and he put his hand up as well.”
The 21-year-old wrecking ball is offcontract at the end of the year and after Tuesday’s showing could find himself on the Warriors shopping list as they search for a replacement for Wests Tigers-bound prop Ben Matulino. The standout schoolboy No 8 was last year in talks to make a return to rugby and was linked to the Hurricanes before recommitting to the Storm on a one-year deal in August.
Cronulla and Manly also made a play for his services and he is sure to again attract plenty of attention from both codes as he weighs his playing future.
A Kiwis test jumper could help persuade him to stay in the 13-man game and test coach David Kidwell must be tempted to choose him to help combat a huge Kangaroos forward pack in next Friday's transtasman clash at GIO Stadium.
Asofa-Solomona was first signed by the Storm as a 15-year-old and made his NRL debut against Manly in round eight of the 2015 season. For departing Warriors prop Ben Matulino, the Ivan Cleary factor was the single biggest reason in his decision to sign for the Wests Tigers.
It was confirmed close to midnight on Tuesday night that Matulino had agreed terms with the Sydney club, after weeks of speculation about his future.
The Warriors statement emphasised that Matulino wanted to experience “living in Sydney with his family” but the 28-year-old confirmed that his close relationship with Cleary sealed the deal.
“I've always had a close bond with [Cleary] and he was the main drawcard for me,” Matulino told Radio Sport last night. “I know how he operates — seeing what he has done with other teams — and I was pretty keen to get on board with that.”
Matulino also revealed that he came extremely close to signing for Penrith to rejoin Cleary a few years ago, and obviously wasn't going to pass up another opportunity.
“A couple of years back he almost got me to Penrith,” said Matulino. “I was a couple of days away from signing there and I ended up staying with the Warriors. [This decision was about] linking up with my old coach and testing myself in a different environment. For me it was about getting a fresh start — starting from the bottom of the pecking order and working my way up.”
Matulino managed 48 minutes in Tuesday night's 20-14 loss to the Storm, his first match of the season after a longer than expected recovery from knee surgery.