NRL 2021: Warriors make huge play to lure Melbourne star Jahrome Hughes to New Zealand
Storm have upped the ante to keep their off-contract star, hitting back after the Warriors’ big money play for the premiership winner.
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Melbourne have hit back at the Warriors in the battle for Jahrome Hughes with the Storm tabling a $2 million extension in a bid to retain their premiership halfback.
The Sunday Mail can reveal the Storm have tabled an increased deal to Hughes in the wake of an aggressive poaching bid from the Warriors, who have offered him a three-year deal worth more than $2.5 million.
While Hughes must still confront the prospect of sacrificing $500,000 over three years to stay in Melbourne, Storm bosses are confident they will not lose the off-contract No.7 who steered them to last year’s premiership.
Hughes was leaning towards the Warriors last week when New Zealand hierarchy tabled the most lucrative contract of his career worth around $850,000 a season.
But Melbourne are digging in for the fight, slightly increasing their three-year package to secure Hughes, who is also mindful of the benefits of playing at a Storm club that regularly competes for titles.
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Hughes will make a definitive call this week and Melbourne recruitment chief Paul Bunn believes the premiers have done enough to stave off the Warriors.
“We’ve had some positive conversations with his agent and I still think we are the frontrunners,” Bunn said.
“Yes, there will be some wildcard offers, but the kid is smarter than just to chase money.
“I met with Jahrome’s agent the other day and Frank Ponissi (Storm football-operations chief) has had some encouraging conversations with Jahrome himself.
“We are very comfortable with where the situation is at.
“Obviously, we have a premiership roster, but we believe we can retain Jahrome on Melbourne money.
“We can’t match what the Warriors are offering and they can throw big money around with Roger (Tuivasa-Sheck) leaving (to rugby union), but this isn’t solely about money.”
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 has big plans for Hughes, telling him he would run the team playing on the right side in the No.7 jumper.
But it is understood Hughes’ partner is happy in Melbourne and reluctant to relocate to New Zealand.
“A lot of times the system makes the player and Jahrome is comfortable in the Melbourne system,” Bunn said.
“He has played the best football of his career here and developed into a premiership player.
“Jahrome has had all these clubs expressing interest but I think the only two serious bidders are us and the Warriors.
“We won’t have to pay anywhere near what they are offering to keep him. Jahrome’s agent has been very fair and reasonable.
“We’ve got some good young playmakers coming through but Jahrome is our No.1 priority.”
MASSIVE BID SET TO KNOCK PREMIERS OUT OF RACE FOR STAR
The Warriors are set to blow Melbourne out of the water and stun the premiers with a big-money poaching raid after tabling a mega $2 million-plus deal for Storm halfback Jahrome Hughes.
N ews Corp can reveal the Storm are in danger of losing the playmaker that steered them to last year’s premiership as the Warriors up the ante in an aggressive bid to recover as a finals force.
Warriors captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck’s shock defection to New Zealand Rugby next year has given the New Zealand club major cash to spend and they have set their sights on Hughes for 2022.
It is understood the Warriors have tabled a three-or-four-year deal in excess of $800,000 a season for the off-contract Hughes, who has become the most sought-after playmaker in the code after piloting the Storm to last year’s title.
The 26-year-old has fielded interest from seven NRL rivals, including the Titans, with whom he debuted in 2013, but the Warriors are now the firm frontrunners.
Hughes has been in negotiations for the past four months. The Storm held a fresh round of talks on Wednesday in a desperate bid to keep Hughes, but Melbourne simply cannot compete with the Warriors’ offer due to salary-cap pressures juggling a star-studded roster.
Should Hughes accept the Warriors deal, it would be a major blow for the Storm, who would have to spend the next 12 months grooming a halfback to replace him for the 2022 season.
Hughes’ asking price to remain at the Storm was $700,000, but the New Zealand Test utility never envisaged receiving two more lucrative offers from the Warriors and the Sharks.
Hughes will make a final decision in the coming days, but unless the Storm hit back with a monster counteroffer, the Warriors are confident they have got their man.
Aiding the Warriors’ poaching bid, the New Zealand-born Hughes has family across the ditch, with his father living in Wellington.
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 has big plans for Hughes, telling him he would run the side playing on the right side in the No.7 jumper.
That would leave Warriors halves Kodi Nikorima and Chanel Harris-Tavita to battle it out for the five-eighth role alongside Hughes.
The Melbourne playmaker recently told News Corp he would find it difficult to walk away from the Storm - but the Warriors offer seems too good to refuse.
“I would like to stay but I understand the Storm will have salary-cap pressures,” Hughes said.
“No player likes the negotiation process, especially when they are happy at a club, but it is a short career and everyone knows it’s part of the game.
“While isolation (last) season was tough, it made us stronger as a group, so it would be incredibly hard to leave such a great club
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