The Storm will need to table a substantial long-term deal for star playmaker Jahrome Hughes in order to stave off circling newcomers the Dolphins.
Hughes, who remains contracted until the end of 2024, is set to decline a final-year player-option in his contract, making the New Zealand half susceptible to offers from November.
The 27-year-old inked a new extension with Melbourne last March, rejecting lucrative offers from the Warriors in favour of a reported deal worth north of $2 million with the Storm.
Hughes could test the waters of the player market again, with the Dolphins keen to acquire the premiership-winning halfback as they eye another Storm signing.
Having already swooped on forward trio Jesse and Kenneath Bromwich and Felise Kaufusi for 2023, Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett now has his sights set on Hughes.
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Melbourne will be given the first chance to lock away Hughes' services, with the club and Hughes' manager Tas Bartlett set to hold contract discussions as early as this week, according toย The Courier Mail.
The former Titans and Cowboys playmaker is understood to be keen to secure his place in the NRL for the long haul, potentially signing as a Storm player for life should the right deal be on offer.
A reported six-year, $5 million deal may be what's needed for Hughes to remain in Victoria and turn his back on a move to Redcliffe, with the three-time Kiwi representative's manager hoping to land the best deal possible for his client.
โJahrome is looking to secure his future and weโre hoping to revise his current deal,โ Bartlett told News Corp.
โThe Storm are in the box seat to keep Jahrome given he is already contracted. He is happy at the Storm, but if we canโt get a long-term deal done, we will look to the open market.
โThe Dolphins are a genuine option for Jahrome, but Melbourne have an advantage in that he isnโt available for another year.
โJahrome has gone to another level in the last two seasons. The next contract for Jahrome is probably his last, so we have to make sure he does the best thing for himself and his family moving forward.โ
The Storm have already lost star hooker and New Zealander Brandon Smith to the Roosters for 2023, leading the club to place playmaking pair Harry Grant and Cameron Munster as priority re-signings.
Melbourne are already understood to have opened talks with Munster, while Grant is sure to be another Queensland target in the sights of the Dolphins.
Bennett landed highly-rated teenagerย Isaiya Katoa from Penrith this week, who could pair with Hughes in the halves should the Dolphins get their way.
This is ridiculous. If Bennett and the cash-laden Dolphins are out to grab Hughes and Grant there’s an element of vendetta, Bennett versus Bellamy. There’s something seriously wrong with the system if Smith, Kafusi, Finucane, Bromich J, Bromich K, Addo-Carr and potentially Grant and Hughes can be ripped from the club in just two years. OK, you say “who cares, it’s the Storm,” but let’s be fair and think, what if it’s your club? There’s no compensation for players like these…and if the Dolphins enjoy instant success, as well they might, it’s also grossly unfair on the battling clubs.