Nelson Asofa-Solomona has deleted his Instagram account as the deadline nears for the Melbourne prop to have his first vaccination to be able to join the NRL club's pre-season training.
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The sole Melbourne Storm player resisting COVID-19 vaccination, Asofa-Solomona could be among the first players stood down, putting his NRL career and $675,000 annual pay cheque at risk.
Despite the NRL not following the lead of the AFL and mandating vaccination, players in both Queensland and Victoria must follow state government health orders and be double jabbed in order to train and play.
Melbourne said Asofa-Solomona's return to training date was mid-December, meaning he had another week to have his first jab, leaving the required three weeks before the second was due.
Asofa-Solomona's Instagram page "isn't available" although the Storm said there was no directive for the Kiwi Test prop to delete it.
He previously posted footage of the anti-lockdown/mandated vaccination rally in the Melbourne CBD on Saturday and hadused the social media platform to question why some nurses were against the jab.
"Front line nurses speaking out. Ask the question, why are they willing to lose their job to not get the juice? What are they seeing that we don't see," the 25-year-old posted on his Instagram story.
His post was accompanied by a link to a video of South Australian healthcare workers protesting SA Heath's decision to make unvaccinated healthcare workers take leave.
Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V'landys offered hope for at least some of the players yet to be vaccinated on Monday.
"I think people are really making a mountain out of a molehill. There are 15 players and that should reduce over time," V'landys told Nine.
"We believe we can - like the government in NSW, allow for 95 per cent vaccination and the 5 per cent who don't - you can work with it. The risk is low to nothing.
"So we are going in accordance with what the NSW government is doing. We can put processes in place where no one is at risk."
It is not clear how that could be done for the players based in Victoria and Queensland however, unless an agreement can be reached with those state governments.
Australian Associated Press
