Melbourne Storm great Billy Slater has praised the club for focusing on immediate success following the re-signing of star halfback Jahrome Hughes, noting that some clubs place "too much" emphasis on planning for the future.
Hughes has committed to the Storm until the end of 2030, a move that now leaves promising young playmaker Jonah Pezet as a potential free agent.
Speaking on The Billy Slater Podcast on Nine, the Maroons coach was asked whether the Storm risk losing a future star by locking in Hughes long-term.
Slater believes the club has simply prioritised "the big picture." One of the standout takeaways for Slater is Hughes’ strong commitment to remaining with Melbourne.
MORE: Who are the contenders and pretenders heading into the finals?
That commitment, Slater said, echoes the stance taken by Reece Walsh when the Broncos fullback signed a five-year extension earlier this year.
"He wanted to be a Bronco, you're nearly halfway there with that so you've got to make sure you're signing those key positions who you think are going to take your club forward," Slater said.
"It's attractive for younger halves to be in and around Jahrome Hughes, Cameron Munster, Ryan Papenhuyzen and Harry Grant and learning off them.
“I remember Harry spent many years under the great Cameron Smith and he went on loan for one year and came back. I don't think it's any one thing, it's not loyalty... it's looking at your squad, looking at the future, who do you think is going to take your club forward into the next phase but at the same time not forget about the now."
"Sometimes we look at the future way too much and we forget about the now, then all of a sudden we're in the future and we don't have the future and the now and we don't have anything," Slater suggested.
Attention now turns to the rest of Melbourne’s spine. Cameron Munster, under contract until the end of 2027, could attract interest from Perth as a potential marquee signing for a new franchise.
Meanwhile, Harry Grant and Ryan Papenhuyzen are signed through to 2026, although reports suggest Papenhuyzen has already drawn interest from R360.