Brisbane Broncos lock Jai Arrow is preparing to reignite a long-running rivalry with Melbourne Storm second-row forward Nelson Asofa-Solomona when the two clash on Thursday night at AAMI Park.
The two up and coming forwards first met in the 2014 National Youth Competition, with Arrow representing the Broncos and Asofa-Solomona running out for the Storm.
It quickly became clear that both had a career in the NRL ahead of them, with Asofa-Solomona being named in the 2014 NYC Team of the Year, and Arrow achieving the same feat in 2015.
The two also met on the international stage in 2015 in the biggest game of their respective careers.
Arrow represented the Junior Kangaroos in their 22-20 win over Asofa-Solomona's Junior Kiwis and little did they know that they'd be battling again 15 months later in the NRL.
Brisbane travelled to Melbourne in Round 25 of the 2016 NRL season, with the two 21-year-olds being named on opposing benches.
Arrow came out on top that night, scoring a crucial try to help his side win 26-16 in hostile conditions.
Speaking to NRL.com ahead of Thursday's clash, Arrow said he had the utmost respect for Asofa-Solomona and the amount of skill he possesses at such a young age.
"He's come on pretty well this year. Nelson is a huge lad with a big body so he's always a handful," Arrow said.
"He's only a year younger than me so that's pretty scary. In years to come he'll be a great player for them.
"We will have to make sure we are on our game around the middle if we are to stop him.
"In the under-20s he was always one that we had to keep an eye on and target a bit. He always broke tackles and put a dent in our defensive line.
"He's great in attack and defence. You know when he has tackled you, that's for sure."
The Broncos will have to be just as great in attack and defence if they are to defeat the unbeaten Storm.
A road trip to Melbourne is never easy but Brisbane have had luck of late, winning their last two in Storm territory – including that Round 25 victory in 2016.
Arrow said he and his teammates learned a lot from their win in Melbourne late last season.
"I took a lot out of the win in Melbourne last year. For me it was one of the best wins I had with the club in 2016," he said.
"We'll take a few positives out of that, but we know we still need to improve.
"The Storm are a tough team so we'll have to be at our best."
