NRL 2024: Daniel Tupou to sign one-year deal with Roosters, Jahrome Hughes sticks by STorm

The Sydney Roosters have locked down a key component of their backline with veteran winger Daniel Tupou extending his stay at the glamour club.

NRL 2024 RD01 Sydney Roosters v Brisbane Broncos - Daniel Tupou Reece Walsh, shoulder charge. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 02: Allegiant Stadium round one, NRL match at Allegiant Stadium, on March 02, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Picture: NRL Photos

Roosters veteran Daniel Tupou is set to be given a 12-month extension with the parties kick-starting negotiations as he eyes a 14th season in the top grade.

While a host of experienced players including Luke Keary, Joey Manu and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves will leave the club at season’s end, the Roosters are likely to give Tupou another year as the winger shows no sign of slowing down.

He will enter next season as the only surviving member of Trent Robinson’s 2013 premiership winning side which was also Robinson’s first season in charge. In recent years the likes of club legends Boyd Cordner, Jake Friend and Mitch Aubusson have all retired leaving Tupou as the club’s most experienced player heading into next season.

Daniel Tupou it with a Reece Walsh, shoulder charge in Las Vegas. Picture: NRL Photos

Roosters coach Trent Robinson confirmed the club had begun talks about extending Tupou’s deal.

“We’ve definitely had some discussions,‘’ Robinson said. “He’s one of ours ‘Toops’ so we’re making sure we guide him in the right way, whether it’s here or overseas.

“I think that will get worked out in the next couple of weeks.‘’

The decision to give Tupou another 12-month contract comes after Dane Gagai rejected the club’s advances and instead decided to remain with Newcastle.If Tupou sticks around he will help ease the burden of trying to replace Manu and Joseph Suaalii in the Roosters backline.

Tupou will partner Dom Young on the wing with Wallaby recruit Mark Nawaqanitawase set to try his hand at centre. If Billy Smith can remain injury free then he will also start at centre while the club has long had hopes that youngster Rob Toia could always be a long-term NRL player however, like Smith, he has struggled to get on the paddock.

Tupou, who turns 33 next month, signed a 12-month deal to remain at the Roosters this year.

HUGHES KNOCKS BACK GOLD COAST

Gold Coast’s hopes of poaching Kiwis star Jahrome Hughes are dead after the Storm halfback informed club bosses he will 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 $1 million-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 there is next to no hope of a Hughes homecoming eventuating after the New Zealand Test halfback informed Storm chairman Matt Tripp he would play out his days in Melbourne.

Matt Tripp recently had Jahrome Hughes over for dinner to discuss his long-term future.

“He couldn’t have been any clearer,” Tripp said after meeting with Hughes.

“Jahrome and Molly (partner) are both really happy in Melbourne and he has no idea where that rumour came from. They have been emphatic.

“He came over to my place last week, we sat in the backyard and had a chat.

“He just wanted to be really clear that it’s all rubbish, he is staying here and wants to play out his career in Melbourne.”

The Storm were rocked by suggestions from Queensland great Corey Parker that Hughes would seek a release from his contract, which expires in 2026, to return to the Gold Coast.

The club has opened negotiations 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. The fact they did it with no substance … there was nothing real about it.

“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 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.

Jahrome Hughes was a Titans junior. Picture: NRL Photos

Since then, Hughes has gone on to become a premiership-winner and one of the NRL’s top halfbacks during a 134-game 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 has been incredible for us,” he said.

“He doesn’t owe anything to the Melbourne Storm. We owe him.

“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 are guys around the competition who are brilliant players, but there’s no one more important to us than Jahrome Hughes.”