Melbourne Storm tie up five young guns as future team takes shape

Melbourne Storm have re-signed two of their best young players on long-term deals as they plan for a future without Billy Slater and potentially skipper Cameron Smith.The Storm today announced new deals for five emerging players, with New Zealand international Nelson Asofa-Solomona and the club's likely Slater replacement, Jahrome Hughes, among them After debuting for Melbourne in 2015, Asofa-Solomona has established himself as one of the brightest young forwards in the competition, with the Storm staving off interest from multiple rival clubs to keep the wrecking ball until 2023.

Hughes has also made a promising start to his first grade career, playing his best football as a fullback fill-in for Slater, while also showing his versatility in a stint at halfback this season. The 23-year-old is likely to get first crack at filling the massive shoes of Slater next season, with the Storm keen to show faith in a young star they have brought through from the juniors. Hughes will remain with the Storm until 2021, while youngsters Scott Drinkwater, Justin Olam and Kayleb Milne have all been retained until 2020.