Samuel Hughes (born 31 January 2001) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a second-rower for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the NRL.

Hughes was born in Cronulla, New South Wales.^{[citation needed]}

Hughes was scouted by the Parramatta Eels as a Harold Matthews Cup prospect and plucked from the nursery of the Cronulla Sharks before debuting for Parramatta in 2017.^[2] He proved to be a dynamic weapon off the edge in his first campaign at the Eels and was particularly lethal in the red zone where his superior size and athleticism relative to the age bracket made him a mismatch nightmare.^{[citation needed]}

In 2021 and 2022, Hughes played for the Parramatta Eels in the Jersey Flegg Cup,^[3] where he was touted as a player to watch.^[4][2]

In 2023, Hughes joined the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. Hughes made his first grade debut from the bench in his side's 50−16 loss to the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the annual Good Friday clash at Stadium Australia in round 6 of the 2023 NRL season.^[5]