Hughes clear on future
Kiwis star wants to finish career at Storm
Gold Coast’s hopes of poaching Kiwis star Jahrome Hughes are dead after the Storm halfback informed club bosses he would finish his career in Melbourne.
Hughes was shaping up as a prime recruitment target for the Titans on the back of David Fifita’s defection to the Roosters.
With $1m a season suddenly appearing in their salary cap, Gold Coast coach Des Hasler will target a marquee playmaker to lead a Titanic revival.
A Gold Coast product who made his NRL debut for the Titans in 2013, Hughes was identified as the No.1 target.
However Melbourne and he has no idea there is next where that rumour came from. to no hope of They have been emphatic. a Hughes “He came over to my place homecomlast week, we sat in the backing after the yard and had a chat.
New Zealand “He just wanted to be really Test halfclear that it’s all rubbish, he is back instaying here and wants to play f o r m e d out his career in Melbourne.” Storm chairman Matt Tripp he Queensland great Corey would play out his days in MelParker suggested that Hughes bourne. would seek a release from his
“He couldn’t have been any contract, which expires in clearer,” Tripp said after meet2026, to return to the Gold ing with Hughes. Coast.
“Jahrome and (partner) The club has opened negotiMolly are both really happy in ations with Hughes’ management to extend his tenure in Melbourne and Tripp said there was no chance of him returning to the Titans.
“Jahrome came out this week and said ‘it’s all lies and if I have it my way I’ll be finishing my career in Melbourne’,” he said.
“I’ve spent a lot of time with Jahrome in the last few weeks and we were both pretty baffled by this stupid rumour that was put out there by someone trying to undermine the club.
“That’s all it was. We cop that all the time and it’s par for the course.
“It’s a shame we’ve had to spend the next few weeks trying to put out spot fires and deal with it because it was made up.”
Titans fans should cringe every time they see Hughes pull on a purple jersey.
The 29-year-old came through Gold Coast’s junior system and made his sole NRL appearance for the Titans in 2013, before being shown the door.
He resurrected his NRL career with the Cowboys in 2016 before securing a third opportunity with Melbourne in 2017.
Since then, Hughes has gone on to become a premiershipwinner and one of the NRL’S top halfbacks during a 134game stint with the Storm.
Hughes will miss Saturday’s top-of-the-table clash with Cronulla due to a calf injury and Tripp said he owed Melbourne nothing despite the club saving his NRL career.
“He doesn’t owe anything to the Melbourne Storm. We owe him,” he said.
“We’re hugely indebted to him for the effort he’s put in. He’s grown into a natural leader of not only the Storm, but his country as well.
“There’s no one more important to us than Jahrome Hughes.”