St George Illawarra is preparing to make a play for out-of-favour Melbourne Storm enforcer Nelson Asofa-Solomona, with the newly-freed up $800,000 from Zac Lomax’s weighty contract the main cornerstone of the approach.
Lomax was told on Tuesday he could leave the club at the end of the season, with the Dragons getting $1.6 million back across 2025 and 2026 with the release.
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The main reason Asofa-Solomona would even potentially be available for the Dragons to sign is because of a major falling out behind the scenes between the 28-year-old prop and Melbourne’s backroom staff. Asofa-Solomona was told to report to preseason training having shed a few kilograms and instead came back heavier than before—a clear violation that has seen the pack leader grounded for the start of the club’s campaign.
While The Sporting Base has heard Asofa-Solomona is eager to patch things up if possible, the rift could lead to the Storm putting their veteran forward in the window for suitors.
Enter Shane Flanagan and the Dragons, who are very interested in the Storm star.
It’s unlikely there’ll be a player swap this season, The Daily Telegraph’s David Riccio reported on Tuesday evening, because the Melbourne coaches don’t see Lomax as a strong option for their backline.
However, early whispers suggest Melbourne may allow Asofa-Solomona to leave if he gets a good deal from another club, especially if his new destination is happy to chip in on his pay packet. It’s a huge reversal from a relationship that was just extended through to 2027—and with a mutual option for 2028—this time last year.
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Things are only in the early stages right now, though if a merry-go-round happens, Lomax could easily land at the Eels at the same time Asofa-Solomona lines up in the Dragons front row.
