Jahrome Hughes injury secret comes to light after underwhelming display in NRL grand final
Hughes carried painful neck and back injuries into the NRL grand final.
Jahrome Hughes' standout 2024 NRL season saw him take out the Dally M medal but the exciting halfback was unable to provide any spark in the grand final as the Panthers secured their fourth straight NRL crown with a 14-6 win. On Sunday night the Storm half racked up 14 runs but barely threatened to break Penrith's defensive line and could only really contribute by clearing last-tackle kicks which were taken with ease and returned with vigour by Penrith's back three.
But the reason behind the Storm star's well below-par grand final performance has since been revealed, with the No.7 carrying a serious neck and back injury into the game. Hughes is understood to have picked up the injuries in the win over the Roosters the prior week. But the injury was kept under the radar in the lead-up to the grand final and even in the aftermath, as not to take away from Penrith's incredible grand final triumph.
Wide World of Sports reports Hughes had struggled in grand final week with the injuries and they were a major factor in why he was barely sighted in attack in the big dance and why the usually potent Melbourne attack lacked bite. Typically, an NRL player either dominates try assists or line breaks as rugby league tends to have ballplayers setting up a side's plays and runners then breaking the defensive line.
But Hughes' fullback background has meant he has been blessed with both, with his stats in 2024 backing that up. Hughes finished the season with 12 tries, 26 try assists, 26 line break assists, 9 forced dropouts and averaging over 110 running metres a game. But he showcased very little of that in the grand final as Melbourne without his incredible attacking flair only managed a single try in the grand final - from an individual dart out of dummy half by Harry Grant.
The grand final defeat marked the first time in the past nine Melbourne games that Hughes failed to either score or set up a try. But despite the injury, New Zealand are still expecting him to be fit for the Pacific Championships, however, WWOS reports his injuries could restrict the amount of game time he has.
New Zealand's Pacific Championships squad depleted by injuries
New Zealand coach Stacey Jones has been forced to go with a few left-field options as he named a heavily depleted squad for the Pacific Championships on Tuesday. The likes of Dylan Brown, Kieran Foran, Moses Leota, Brandon Smith, Ronaldo Mulitalo, Briton Nikora and Jeremy Marshall-King are all unavailable due to injury, while retiring Warriors playmaker Shaun Johnson decided to not finish his career with an international call-up.
Penrith duo Trent Toelau and Casey McLean were the two biggest surprise inclusions in Jones's squad, with the pair boasting just 16 games of NRL experience between them. The uncapped Panthers have spent most of the season playing in the NSW Cup and came into the side when injuries struck. They are joined in a fresh-looking Kiwis set-up by six further debutants, including Newcastle utility Phoenix Crossland, Titans livewire Keano Kini and former New Zealand sevens international Will Warbrick.
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"While we've had a number of players ruled out through injury or unavailability, it's a hugely exciting opportunity having the Kiwis playing at home in front of our fans again," Jones said. "We've still got a solid core of last year's squad but, the way I see it, it's a fantastic chance for us to build the group to provide lots of options and depth for following campaigns." The Kiwis will face Australia in their first game of the tournament in Christchurch on October 27, before meeting Tonga on November 2 in Auckland.
New Zealand squad:
Erin Clark, Phoenix Crossland, James Fisher-Harris (c), Peta Hiku, Jahrome Hughes, Jamayne Isaako, Keano Kini, Casey McLean, Griffin Neame, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Kodi Nikorima, Marata Niukore, Isaiah Papali'i, Jordan Riki, Scott Sorensen, Joseph Tapine, Leo Thompson, Matt Timoko, Trent Toelau, Will Warbrick, Naufahu Whyte
with AAP