![\"Ryan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/e78de696c150413ba52529b4ed4fc1764684f101.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n\u201cI\u2019m not sure if he will stay retired. After a year, he might re-evaluate things. But for now, I think the best thing for him would be probably to stay retired. He\u2019s got a lot of other things that he\u2019s looking at doing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hughes hasn\u2019t yet reached the same point as Papenhuyzen, despite his injuries.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ryan Papenhuyzen has suffered some horrific injuries and concussions during his NRL career.Credit: NRL Photos<\/p>\n
The 2024 Dally M gold medallist was sidelined for one game last year after breaking his hand in March.<\/a> When he then dislocated his shoulder in July<\/a>, there were fears he would be out for the rest of the season, but he missed five weeks.<\/p>\n Next, he broke his arm<\/a> in September, prompting surgeons to insert a titanium plate and screws as reinforcement, but was back 22 days later to play in the preliminary final, followed by the decider, scoring a try in each game.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just ticking all the boxes I need to, and getting through, training-wise, what I felt like I needed to get through,\u201d Hughes said.<\/p>\n \u201cSo being able to gain confidence from training, and obviously having the physio and the medical team help me get where I needed to be, it gave me confidence going into the games. And so I felt pretty good when I was playing.\u201d<\/p>\n Jahrome Hughes scored a try in Melbourne\u2019s grand final defeat.Credit: Getty Images<\/p>\n Broken bones heal. Broken hearts are another matter, and Hughes and his teammates have vowed to move on after the shattering disappointment of losing back-to-back grand finals.<\/p>\n \u201cIt hurts obviously, making the grand final and not going all the way,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The arm guard worn by Jahrome Hughes in last season\u2019s preliminary final and grand final.Credit: Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cBut I think you\u2019ve just got to learn from it and then move on. I think if you hold on to it for too long the wrong way, it can really eat you inside.<\/p>\n \u201cFor myself personally and others in the team, we\u2019ve just taken our learnings from it, and we\u2019ll just use it as motivation going into next season.\u201d<\/p>\n After the departure of Papenhuyzen and enforcer Nelson Asofa-Solomona<\/a>, who is pursuing a professional boxing career, parlayed into the concussion-enforced absence of back-rower Eliesa Katoa<\/a>, the Storm\u2019s \u201cnext man up\u201d mentality will be tested like rarely in recent times.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, it was tough to lose those guys,\u201d Hughes said.<\/p>\n Loading<\/p>\n \u201cBut we try not to look at who we don\u2019t have as who we\u2019ve got in our team. Ever since I\u2019ve been at this club, we\u2019ve done that.<\/p>\n \u201cWith injuries and stuff, we\u2019re not going: \u2018Damn, we don\u2019t have them\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cWe look at who\u2019s stepping into those spots, and let\u2019s help them, use them to the best of our ability.<\/p>\n \u201cThe guys chasing those spots are hungry and fighting for those positions. And it\u2019s really lifting our team.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Jahrome](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/6439e0322cb812d3015835493320503371c9dd0e.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1795bdd6a1d3d829b518b4b70149d39f30e41845.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n