Eels Blogs

Here’s how I see it playing out. I’ve always felt Footy Dean was on the outer at Parramatta. If you remember the final four games of the 2025 season, Dean dropped out of the side completely when Iongi returned from injury, pushing Joash Papali’i into the five-eighth role.

What stood out to me was that Dean didn’t even feature in reserve grade — he was nowhere to be seen for the final rounds or the finals. That seemed strange at the time and hinted that he may have already been out of the club’s long-term plans.

Now, with Pezet’s arrival and Dean reportedly heading to the Super League, it makes sense that Pezet has been brought in as a reliable backup to Mitchell Moses, allowing Joash to retain his starting position at No.6. Given Moses’s recent run of injuries, this looks like a smart move by Ryles — having a quality half ready to step in if needed.

To start the season, we’ll likely see Moses at halfback (7) and Joash at five-eighth (6). That said, Joash is still very young in his career, and there’s always a chance Pezet could slot in at six during the season if Ryles feels Joash needs a breather or a fresh perspective.

Overall, this looks like a well-balanced outcome for the club — exactly what Ryles probably intended. With a capable backup secured and Joash keeping his place, the team’s chemistry remains intact. It avoids the disruption of bringing in a short-term “stop-gap” player, something many feared would happen.