Inside the $1million sliding doors moment that almost changed Dally M winner Jahrome Hughes’ life forever

Jahrome Hughes’ manager has revealed the newly minted Dally M Medallist came very close to playing for the New Zealand Warriors.

Storm playmaker Hughes capped an excellent 2024 NRL season by being crowned rugby league’s best and fairest player on Wednesday night.

Hughes’ manager Tas Bartlett made the revelation that the Melbourne halfback would have been playing for the Warriors now if it hadn’t have been for the covid pandemic in 2019.

‘Jahrome felt it was time to go home and the Warriors offered him $1million, which was big money for a halfback four or five years ago,’ Bartlett told Wide World of Sports.

‘We were all set to go over there with his partner, look at accommodation and facilities and almost certainly sign a contract.

‘But Covid came in and prevented us from making the trip.

‘Basically, the Warriors couldn’t show him the love. We had a couple of Zoom chats but it wasn’t the same – and he decided to stay in Melbourne.’

Hughes became the first Kiwi half in 32 years to claim the NRL’s top award after a thrilling finish to the count on Wednesday night.

Hughes was set to join the New Zealand Warriors until the outbreak of the Covid pandemic changed his plans

Leading James Tedesco by one point headed into the final round, Hughes and the Sydney Roosters fullback both polled six votes to finish the season one point apart.

He was then met by an impromptu haka, led by Storm teammate Will Warbrick alongside Eliesa Katoa and Joseph Tapine.

Manly halfback Daly Cherry-Evans finished third, with his teammate Tom Trbojevic fourth despite missing large parts of the season.

Roosters second-rower Olivia Kernick won the women’s Dally M, taking her first major prize by finishing two points clear of Parramatta fullback Abbi Church and Gold Coast halfback Lauren Brown.

Hughes’s maiden top gong comes after what has clearly been the best year of his career to date.

The Storm No.7 stepped up in the absence of Cameron Munster through the middle stage of the season and helped take Melbourne to the grand final.

Hughes (pictured with wife Molly) became the first Kiwi half in 32 years to claim the NRL’s best and fairest gong

The Storm half (pictured right with teammate Ryan Papenhuyzen) is will be a huge part of Melbourne’s attack in the grand final against Penrith on Sunday

‘I don’t really play the game for individual accolades, I play it for team accolades,’ Hughes said.

‘That was the way I was looking at it coming into it.

‘But now I have been lucky enough to win it, I see how special it is. When you see the players who have won it, it’s pretty crazy.’

His showdown with Penrith halfback Nathan Cleary also looms as a heavyweight battle in Sunday’s decider.

If Hughes wins out in that, he can become just the eighth player in history to win a premiership and Dally M in the same year.

‘That’s the next job,’ Hughes said.

‘We’re in a grand final, and now it’s time to prepare for that.

‘It would be awesome to get the double, but just winning a premiership with my Storm teammates this year is a dream.’

Wednesday night’s coveted honour at Royal Randwick is a fitting reward for Hughes after a superb season.

Hughes’s triumph came on a big night for the Storm with Craig Bellamy named coach of the year.

Harry Grant was named hooker of the year, Katoa one of the second-rowers of the year (Angus Crichton is the other) and Xavier Coates handed the try-of-the-year award.

Penrith had two players in the team of the year, while Canterbury’s Stephen Crichton was named captain and in the centres.