For 46 minutes on ANZAC Day the rugby league world got a snapshot of what Nelson Asofa-Solomona is capable of.
The giant prop had 88 metres, 26 tackles and scored Storm’s first try of the game in a performance that saw the 21-year-old awarded the Spirit of the ANZAC Medal.
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Standing at 200cm and 115kgs, few, if any, possess the size of Asofa-Solomona. Couple that physique with a clever off load and powerful running game, the sky is well and truly the limit.
“Nelson has got so much ability it is really not funny, he could be anything if he wanted to,” Cameron Smith said.
“The greatest challenge for him is playing the way he did tonight, every week.
“The great players do that. It doesn’t matter what happens during the week, where they’re playing, the conditions they are playing in, they just turn up and play at that standard every week.
“We’ve seen some brilliant things from Nels, tonight he was one of the best on the field but the thing he needs to work on is turning up and playing like that every week.”
In front of a crowd of 22,153 and against many of his fellow countrymen, the Wellington-born forward produced one of his best performances in the purple jersey.
“He has probably had this match circled for a while and wanted to put in a big performance but if you want to be one of the best elite players in the comp you need to do that every week,” Smith said.
“We are very happy with what he has produced for us tonight but we need to see that from him every week now.”
Asofa-Solomona. will not have to wait long for the chance to back up his effort, with Storm taking on the second-placed Dragons in just five days time.
