Jahrome Hughes has turned his back on millions from NRL expansion teams to ink a four-year extension to finish his career at the Melbourne Storm.
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The Daily Telegraph reported Hughes has turned down the chance to be a marquee signing with the Perth Bears or Papua New Guinea to stick loyal to the club that gave him his chance in the NRL.
Hughes was signed until the end of 2026 and was set to become available to negotiate with rivals on November 1, but he has instead inked a four-year extension worth north of $4 million, that will keep him with the Storm until the end of 2030.
The 30-year-old will be 35 by the time his deal comes to an end, but playmakers are playing longer in the modern era and Hughes has shown no signs of slowing down since winning the Dally M Medal last year.
However, the deal could have repercussions for Storm half Jonah Pezet, who has a get-out clause if the Storm sign Hughes to an extension.
“It’s a good result for me,” Hughes told The Daily Telegraph.
“I guess it was just getting the right things in place and the club had to want me for that long and see me as the future of the club.
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“I’m grateful for what I do have. Even just looking at my journey of how I came into the NRL, I never thought I’d be a halfback.
“I have won a premiership and was lucky enough to win a Dally M last year. I never thought I’d be able to do those things.
“I am very grateful to be where I am. So just to show them a bit of loyalty as well was always something that was in the back of my mind.”
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Hughes has scored 68 tries in 165 games for the Storm from 2017 after just two games for the Titans and Cowboys combined in 2013 and 2016.
He was a member of the title winning Storm squad in 2017 and started at halfback in their 2020 triumph, while he also lost Grand Finals in 2018 and 2024.
The New Zealand born playmaker has also played 10 Tests for the Kiwis and won a Dally M Medal in 2024.
Hughes could have earned up to $1.5 million a season at the Bears or PNG as a marquee signing, but chose to stay loyal to the club that has made him the player he is.
“For me, it’s never really been about money,” Hughes said.
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“I think the thing for me is just where I’m going to be happy. Myself and my wife, we are having a kid at the end of the year.
“You don’t want to be going somewhere for money and not enjoying your life. It was the value of my happiness and my family’s happiness.
“You look at the football side of things, the dream is to chase premierships and I think Melbourne’s in a good window for that and has always been ever since I’ve been here, and even before I came here. I looked at those sorts of things as factors in the contract.”
