NRL 2020: Storm damage as another star faces exit | What’s the Buzz
The Storm could face their most challenging period since the salary cap scandal with a mass exodus from Melbourne as another premiership winning star looks set to follow a host of players out the door.
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Melbourne’s premiership-winning halfback Jahrome Hughes could follow Cameron Smith, Josh Addo-Carr, Suliasi Vunivalu and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui out the Storm door at the end of next season.
With the likely departure of super coach Craig Bellamy next year and resignation of Storm CEO Dave Donaghy, it leaves them facing their most challenging period since the salary cap scandal rocked the club.
The departures of Smith, Addo-Carr and Vunivalu have been well documented but losing Hughes to a rival club was never anticipated.
Hughes is being shopped around by manager Chris Orr to every NRL club.
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A Storm official has told The Sunday Telegraph there have been difficulties in the negotiations with Orr.
Hughes is on only $350,000 at Storm but could more than double that elsewhere.
Storm will offer Hughes a substantial upgrade but can’t match some of the offers that will come from clubs like the Brisbane Broncos, who will be cashed up at the end of next season.
It’s why Melbourne has signed boom Newcastle half Jonah Pezet, an 18-year-old rookie many believe will be an established first-grader in the next couple of years.
Hughes, 26, has one more year to go on his Storm contract.
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Unwanted at the Titans and the Cowboys, he got a start under Craig Bellamy in Melbourne in 2017 and has developed into one of the competition’s best halves over the last two seasons.
If he goes, there is a huge wrap on young Pezet.
He had been identified by coach Adam O’Brien as the long-term replacement for Mitchell Pearce at the Knights before Storm pounced.
Originally published as NRL 2020: Storm damage as another star faces exit | What’s the Buzz