Melbourne’s premiership hopes have taken a serious hit and, once again, it’s due to an injury to Jahrome Hughes.
The Storm playmaker had missed the past five weeks of action after suffering a shoulder injury, but returned in the last round of the regular season against Brisbane.
However, he lasted just over 30 minutes into the blockbuster clash before he was forced from the field.
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Jahrome Hughes injured again as Melbourne’s premiership hopes take a dive
The reigning Dally M Medal winner was targeted by the Broncos in defence from the outset.
Ben Hunt isolated his opposite number, with first Payne Haas and then Brendan Piakura trampling over Hughes.
Haas’ rampaging run saw him free an arm for an offload for Reece Walsh to score the opening try of the match.
However, it was Piakura’s carry which proved to be the most damaging for Melbourne and Hughes after he was left clutching at his wrist following his tackle on the backrower.
Jahrome Hughes won’t return & will go for scans on a suspected broken wrist/forearm.
— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) September 4, 2025
Direct contact mechanism with knee to forearm attempting tackle. If radius fracture confirmed would usually be a 4-8 week recovery, but it is finals time so textbook return dates are often… pic.twitter.com/7KNUrPSejX
After spending time with the trainer out the back of play, Hughes rejoined his teammates on the attack.
But he reeled out of an attempted pass and headed straight for the sidelines where he was replaced by Tyran Wishart.
The bombshell news came through almost immediately from the bench that the Storm No.7 had suffered a suspected broken wrist.
Things then went from bad to worse for Melbourne as Nelson Asofa-Solomona was put on report and sent to the sin-bin for a high shot in the shadows of half-time.
And it didn't get much better for the visitors in the second stanza as they slipped to a 30-14 loss, which ended with Ryan Papenhuyzen being taken from the field to undergo a HIA after copping a high shot.
It has since been confirmed that Hughes sustained a fractured forearm and is unlikely to play again this season.
Meanwhile, Papenhuyzen has been ruled out of his side's qualifying final against Canterbury next week after entering into concussion protocols.
NAS was hit with a three-match ban with an early guilty plea for his high tackle on Ben Talty that could also see him miss the rest of the season, depending on how Melbourne's results go in the finals.