NRL 2021: Melbourne Storm set to re-sign Jahrome Hughes to multi-year contract

Melbourne Storm has staved off a massive poaching raid from an NRL rival to secure the signature of one of its biggest stars.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 25: Jahrome Hughes of the Storm poses with the Premiership trophy after winning the 2020 NRL Grand Final match between the Penrith Panthers and the Melbourne Storm at ANZ Stadium on October 25, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Jahrome Hughes has rejected a monster $2.5 million offer from the Warriors and inked a new deal with Melbourne in a major coup for the premiers.

News Corp can reveal the three-month battle for Hughes’ signature is over with the premiership-winning No.7 agreeing to stay loyal to the Storm in the face of a big-money poaching bid from the Warriors.

The Warriors tabled a three-year deal worth $850,000 a season and were confident they had won the bidding war considering Hughes stood to earn an extra $500,000 by moving to New Zealand.

Hughes was on the verge of accepting the deal but the Storm have prevailed at the eleventh hour and will announce his retention at their season launch on Wednesday night.

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Melbourne Storm have won the battle for Jahrome Hughes, with the halfback set to re-sign. Picture: Getty Images.

The 26-year-old has signed a three-year upgrade worth $700,000 a season, a $2.1 million package that keeps Hughes in Melbourne until the end of 2024.

Hughes‘ retention is a huge boost for the Storm, who could not afford to lose another key member of their premiership-winning spine following Cameron Smith’s decision not to return to Melbourne this season.

Hughes has played 60 first-grade games and had the finest campaign of his career in 2020 after five injury-plagued seasons with former clubs the Titans and North Queensland.

New Warriors coach Nathan Brown had big plans for Hughes, telling him he would run the side playing on the right side in the No.7 jumper.

But the power of the Storm‘s brand as the most successful club of the past decade has convinced Hughes to sacrifice dollars and chase back-to-back titles with Melbourne.

The Warriors were heavily chasing Hughes, with a monster three-year offer. Picture: Getty Images.

The new deal was announced to the Storm faithful at its season launch at Crown Casino on Wednesday night.

“Having Jahrome re-sign with us today is a real boost for Storm as we head into the new season,” Storm football boss Frank Ponissi said.

“He came to us having played just four NRL in two seasons, but he has worked extremely hard on his game, with the assistance of our coaching staff, and fully deserves the rewards which have come his way.

“His switch from fullback to halfback has proved to be an outstanding success and we expect there is still plenty of improvement ahead of him.

“We have also Jahrome included in our Emerging Leadership group in the past two seasons, which is another indication of how highly regarded he is here at Storm.”

Hughes first joined Storm in 2017 and has played 60 NRL games, including being a key figure in last season’s grand final victory against Penrith.

The 26-year-old had the finest campaign of his career in 2020 after five injury-plagued seasons with former clubs the Gold Coast Titans and North Queensland.”

Originally published as NRL 2021: Melbourne Storm set to re-sign Jahrome Hughes to multi-year contract