Asofa-Solomona to miss NRL grand final after high shot v Roosters

Nelson Asofa-Solomona will miss next week’s NRL grand final after the Melbourne Storm prop was charged with a Grade 3 Careless High Tackle for his shot on Lindsay Collins in Friday night’s preliminary final against the Sydney Roosters.

Asofa-Solomona caught Collins with a shoulder to the face in the first tackle of the match at AAMI Park in Melbourne, ruling his opposite number out for the evening after he failed an HIA following the contact.

With the NRL judiciary ruling the tackle a Grade 3 infraction, the prop’s minimum penalty will be a four-match suspension – if he pleads guilty – given this is his third similar offence.

The only was that Asofa-Solomona could compete in the grand final would be if he appealed the decision, and had it downgraded to a Grade 1 charge.

Given that the Storm have previously had success fighting bans (a decision against Billy Slater was reversed to allow him to play the 2018 grand final) it seems likely they will challenge the ruling.

Waerea-Hargreaves backs Asofa-Solomona amid NRL grand final ban

Surprisingly, Sydney Rooster’s prop Jared Waerea-Hargreave voiced his support for Asofa-Solomona after playing his final NRL match, saying he hopes his fellow prop does not get banned.

“I really hope it doesn’t cost Nelson a grand final, I hope not, I truly do,” said Waerea-Hargreaves.

“It’s why we play. It’s such a physical game.

“They are small margins we talk about.

“There was a lot of talk and speculation on both us guys, and who was going to dominate the middle on Friday.

“I thought he played really well.

“I could feel him going after the game.

“I really hope he gets to go out there next week and do the same thing.”

Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy also addressed Asofa-Solomona’s high shot in his post-match press conference, pre-empting the judicial ruling.

“You’d hate to see him miss a big game,” he said.

“I didn’t think it was a sin bin.

“I didn’t think there was a whole heap in it.”

NRL bookmakers have the Storm as $1.85 favourites to win the grand final next weekend, with the Penrith Panthers at $1.95 after an impressive 26-6 win over the Cronulla Sharks.

Should Asofa-Solomona’s ban be upheld, then Melbourne’s odds will likely be slightly longer heading into the grand final than they otherwise would have been.

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