LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy

Hughes Reflects on Injury and Season Survival

Melbourne Storm halfback Jahrome Hughes has opened up about his initial thoughts of the season being over after he suffered a wrist injury in the final regular-season match. The injury occurred during a game against the Brisbane Broncos, where Hughes was returning from a previous shoulder injury.

The decision to play him before the finals was controversial, but the team was eager to get him some match fitness. Unfortunately, the injury he sustained was not related to his shoulder; he broke his wrist following a direct contact incident.

At first, it seemed like Hughes's season was finished, as wrist recovery typically takes about four to six weeks. However, after undergoing surgery, medical staff informed him that he had a chance of being fit for the preliminary final, which the Storm secured after defeating the Canterbury Bulldogs in the first round of the finals.

In an appearance on Channel 9's The Today Show, Hughes confessed that he had communicated to his wife that he believed his season was over, and he thought the medical team might have been exaggerating about his prospects of returning to play. "I rang my wife straight after the game and said that's me done for the year. I still pinch myself that I'm in another grand final," Hughes stated on Nine's Today.