NRL 2024: Dally M contender Jahrome Hughes rejected Broncos and $6m Dolphins offer to remain at Storm

Jahrome Hughes is right in the hunt for Dally M glory in 2024 with Melbourne, but his NRL journey could’ve looked a lot different had he not rejected offers from two Queensland clubs, one being a mammoth $6m deal.

PENRITH, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 15: Jahrome Hughes of the Storm runs the ball during the round 24 NRL match between Penrith Panthers and Melbourne Storm at BlueBet Stadium, on August 15, 2024, in Penrith, Australia. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

Storm coach Craig Bellamy says Jahrome Hughes deserves the Dally M Medal as it emerged the halfback rejected the Broncos and a massive $6 million offer from Wayne Bennett’s Dolphins to stay in Melbourne.

As he prepares to lead the Storm into Saturday night’s finals opener against Cronulla at AAMI Park, this masthead can reveal Hughes was offered $1.2 million-a-season to become the Dolphins’ franchise player.

Hughes also had interest from the Broncos before they signed Adam Reynolds for the 2022 season, but the Kiwi Test halfback ultimately opted for a four-year package with Melbourne worth an estimated $3.6 million.

Based on those figures, Hughes sacrificed around $2.4m by knocking back the Dolphins, whose five-year offer would have made the Titans junior the highest-paid player in the game alongside Kalyn Ponga and Nathan Cleary.

The decision to stay loyal has still paid handsome dividends for Hughes, who goes into the NRL finals series as the code’s form player, with Bellamy calling for the Melbourne No.7 to be crowned the Dally M Medallist.

“I would love to see any of my players win the Dally M,” Bellamy said.

Jahrome Hughes is right in the hunt for the 2024 Dally M. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

“But the way Jahrome has played this year, he has been outstanding and consistently outstanding.

“’Hughesy’ has found more confidence in himself this year.

“We have always had a lot of confidence in him, but he hasn’t had it in himself.

“This year it has clicked on how important he is to the team and just how good he is.

“He has gone out and played his game this year and we have had some good rewards from him doing it.”

It was only eight years ago that Hughes was at rock bottom.

After two NRL games in three years at the Titans and Cowboys due to a chronic back injury, Hughes was off-contract at North Queensland in 2016 and shopped to every club in the league.

Jahrome Hughes playing for the Titans in the Holden Cup. Picture: Adam Head

Jahrome Hughes played just one NRL game for the Cowboys. Picture: AAP Image/Dean Lewins

Then just 21, Hughes was offered to the Wests Tigers and Dragons for $180,000 a season. Both clubs politely declined his services.

Melbourne picked him up for $150,000 and three years later, the fullback-cum-halfback piloted the Storm to the 2020 premiership, triggering interest from the Broncos and Dolphins.

“The Broncos showed some interest three years ago, but he also had some huge interest from the Warriors and Dolphins,” said his agent Tas Bartlett of PSM.

“He certainly considered the Broncos and Dolphins because it’s close to his home on the Gold Coast where Jahrome grew up.

“Jahrome could have earned more money if he went elsewhere, but he is a loyal guy and he is appreciative of what the Storm did for him.

“The Storm already had Billy Slater, (Ryan) Papenhuyzen and (Scott) Drinkwater on their books, but what they understood was that, statistically, Jahrome was the best Queensland Cup player of the last 10 years.

“They signed Jahrome because they knew with their systems, they would find a way to get the best out of him.

Jahrome Hughes’ agent says he strongly considered moves to the Broncos and Dolphins. Picture: NRL PHOTOS

“He was the best running player in the Queensland Cup in a decade, so I’m not really surprised by where he is today because he always had the ability.”

Bartlett paid tribute to the Storm’s patience in Hughes, who could have easily retired due to his back problems.

Now the 29-year-old has amassed 148 NRL games and 10 Tests for the Kiwis and such is his sizzling form, Hughes says he is playing the NRL in “slow motion”.

“I was talking to him the other day and he said to me, ‘The game for me feels in slow motion at the moment’,” Bartlett said.

“Jahrome said, ‘I look up and I just feel I have so much time’.

“He’s had so many reps now at halfback so over four or five years the pace of the NRL has slowed down for him.

“Melbourne took the right approach. He first went on a two-year deal and they put him on ice for six months. They did surgery on his back and looked after his back, they played the long game thinking this guy could be a great player at fullback or halfback.

“Jahrome has always been a freak. If you go and watch his under-20s highlights on YouTube, he was on fire even in the NYC competition.

“Craig Bellamy has put a lot of time into him. It took some time for him to make the transition to halfback, but you can’t buy footy IQ.

Craig Bellamy has put a lot of time and faith into Jahrome Hughes. Picture: Ian Currie

“I signed him at 15 and he always had that footy IQ.

“He had some injuries early but he just needed a club to get his body right and show faith in him and the Storm did that.”

Storm halves partner Cameron Munster believes Hughes is the raging favourite to win this year’s Dally M.

“He deserves it,” Munster said. “Right now, he’s just worried about the finals and the team and that just shows the type of person he is.

“He’s not worried about the accolades.

“He’s all about team-first, he’s ready to go for the finals and hopefully win us a premiership.”

Originally published as NRL 2024: Dally M contender Jahrome Hughes rejected Broncos and $6m Dolphins offer to remain at Storm