Controversial Melbourne Storm forward Nelson Asofa-Solomona is reportedly set to make a cross code switch to rugby union ahead of the 2023 season.
Fox Sports are reporting that the Kiwi prop is set to join the Japanese League One competition one year before his NRL contract with the Storm ends.
The report suggests Asofa-Solomona will join the Panasonic Wild Knights, who are mentored by Robbie Deans, a former Wallabies coach.
The 25-year-old’s move may have been influenced by the fact that he’s yet to be vaccinated against COVID-19, as he’s yet to return to Storm training at this stage due to Victorian Government rules.
According to reports, the Storm have continually tried to reach out to the big man but haven’t been able to convince him to change his mind.
At this stage, there’s no vaccine mandates in Japan, meaning Asofa-Solomona would be free to play without taking the jab.
With his immediate NRL future in doubt due to his vaccination refusal, the report also suggests that Rugby Australia could offer him a short-term deal before he heads to Japan, but one source says the governing body won’t break the bank for the forward.
Asofa-Solomona has played 141 games for the Storm across seven seasons, including winning both the 2017 and 2020 Grand Finals in purple.