His calmness and control helped the Storm recover from an early Warriors onslaught, while his ability to exploit opposition weaknesses was pivotal to their success, along with an imperious kicking game.
And it was done without star halves partner Cameron Munster, while fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen was another missing from a depleted spine.
Hooker Harry Grant was impressive but Hughes was key, with a remarkable four try assists along with laying on three line breaks, while his quick thinking also led to Marcelo Montoya’s sin-binning, a major turning point in the second half.
“Jahrome was outstanding,” agreed Storm coach Craig Bellamy.
The Warriors will be sick of the sight of Kiwis halfback Jahrome Hughes. Photo / Photosport
It was the latest in a long line of top-drawer displays when the Warriors are the opposition. The Wellington product has faced the Auckland club 11 times in his career and has yet to taste defeat. Sure, it helps being part of the Melbourne machine but Hughes often saves his best for those fixtures.
“I enjoy playing the Warriors,” admitted Hughes after the match, sitting in the middle of an upbeat Storm dressing room. “It is a team I supported when I was a young buck and I love playing in Auckland and playing in my home country. It’s always a pleasure and I always get up for that game.”
“My family always come up from Wellington to watch,” said Hughes. “My Dad came up. He doesn’t get to many games, because he is living in New Zealand obviously. [I] try and put on a bit of a show when he is here.”
Bellamy wasn’t surprised by the standout performance of Hughes, along with interchange forward Nelson Asofa-Solomona, another who has also proved a consistent thorn for the Warriors.
“They are Kiwis,” said Bellamy. “They want to make sure they play well. Got a lot of pride in New Zealand and it adds a little bit to them, no doubt.”
Jahrome Hughes puts in a kick at Go Media Stadium Mt Smart as Addin Fonua-Blake takes evasive action. Photo / Photosport
Pinpoint kicks from Hughes led to the Storm’s first two tries, while his cut-out ball for their third was a pass of rare beauty. He engineered another line break that led to Nick Meaney’s try just before halftime, then his game management was vital in the second half.
Hughes also stood tall in the first quarter as the Storm were under siege.
“They came out guns blazing and we had to fight to get back into it,” he said. “We needed to get a bit of control. We knew if we got the ball, we might have been a chance. The boys dug deep and we were able to shift the momentum in our favour.”
Speculation emerged last month linking Hughes with a future move back to Queensland – where he attended high school after leaving New Zealand as a 14-year-old – but Hughes insists he wants to stay at the Storm beyond his current contract, which runs through the 2026 season.
“I squashed those rumours when they came up,” said Hughes. “The media put it out there... it was just annoying because I was getting messages from my family and everything saying, is it true? No truth to it at all.”
The halfback certainly looks settled, with Bellamy asserting post-match that Hughes is having a career season, such is his impact on their 10-3 campaign.
“That’s surprising, he tells me differently at training,” laughed Hughes. “I don’t know if he is trying to keep my head small. I’m at that stage where I am trying to keep building my game. Consistency was a massive thing for me; obviously I had a couple of good games here and there over the last couple of years but I am working on playing well every single week.”
Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist since 2005, winning several national awards and covering Olympics, Fifa World Cups and America’s Cup campaigns. He has also reported on the Warriors and NRL for more than a decade.
