Melbourne Storm forward Nelson Asofa-Solomona has sparked a new wave of speculation around his future with a cryptically worded post on social media, however, the club insist it has nothing to do with a potential exit from the Victorian capital.
In the post, Asofa-Solomona left photos and videos with the caption “All good things must come to an end, Enjoy the moments while they last.”
The photos and videos were a mix of those in a Storm jersey, his personal life, and an image with former teammate, now Wests Tigers‘ centre Justin Olam.
The caption to the post left on Instagram led plenty to believe that the forward was ending his time with the club, with the New Zealand-born prop having been in the media headlines for much of the 2024 season to date.
Zero Tackle however can reveal the forward was simply making comments at the end of his bye week and having to return to training.
“He’s just referring to his break being over after bye week,” A club spokesperson said.
Some of the photos in the post did appear to be of Asofa-Solomona and those close to him, spending time away from rugby league, with the Storm having had the week off from training ahead of this weekend’s bye.
Melbourne will return to action next weekend against the Sydney Roosters, but what role Asofa-Solomona will play remains to be seen.
After reportedly winding up in coach Craig Bellamy‘s line of fire during the pre-season, Asofa-Solomona has so far only made 11 appearances this year, with all bar the last three coming from the bench.
Even in his starting games, his minutes were still limited, with the impactful forward not playing more than 40 minutes in any game this year.
His production on the stats sheet has suffered too, with the Kiwi currently averaging only 87 metres per game, down on last year’s 107 metres per game, and well short of the career highs he set in the previous four seasons, where he averaged between 116 and 122 metres per contest for four consecutive years.
His lack of involvement with the Storm, as well as a reported push from the Wests Tigers to potentially land his signature should they lose Stefano Utoikamanu – with Melbourne believed to be one of the club’s interested in the former junior Blue – has seen Asofa-Solomona’s future at the Storm challenged on multiple fronts so far this year.
The 28-year-old however is contracted until at least the end of 2027, with a mutual option extending into 2028.