“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to play NRL every week. As a kid you grow up and that’s what you want to do." Gosford-born, now 22 year old, Jonah Pezet told The Queenslander last year.
This could be a make-or-break signing or a missed opportunity for the Ryles era. Pezet has divided some Eels fans, and there are plenty of “ifs” and moving balls. And until a signing is confirmed this is all hypothetical.
Cons & Threats
Two generals in one team? Too many cooks? Mitchell Moses is a dominant seven, and Pezet appears to want that role long-term, though he could compromise to play full-time NRL.
Pezet is a risk, for sure. All signings are. Maybe he’s not yet the superstar we’d pay him to be. He's still getting his body ready for the gladitorial week-to-week grind of NRL. And also every young half goes through dark nights of the soul; even gets dropped. Sam Walker. Ash Taylor. Tim Smith. Next Big Things.
It’s an expensive risk. Beyond the Raiders, Pezet won’t be short of suitors. He’d likely be number three on the Eels’ salary cap after Moses and Junior Paulo. Number two not long after. (Refer Salary Cap Blog)
If it's really a loan deal, while waiting-on-Munster, we would be a pit stop of convenience, doing more service to the Storm than our club. How did the Harry Grant loan deal work for the Tigers? In that case, we should stick with Ryles’ “The Future is Now” philosophy developing project players like Joash Papali’i, Dean Hawkins, or Lorenzo.
Pros & Opportunities
Pezet could provide a short,mid, and long-term spine solution. The heir to Mitchell Moses. A spine that could grow together for the next 10 years plus, building around it.
In the short term, he could ease our over-reliance on Moses and his fitness, as has missed large Turbo-Ponga-esque chunks of games in recent seasons. This year, the Eels have a 54% win ration with Moses, 27% without.
Why couldn't Pezet play six for a while? He has 15 games at six, 20 at seven, and 15 off the bench at Cup and NRL levels. The Broncos won a grand final with a two-sevens in the halves (Reynolds-Hunt), while Storm have succeeded with three fullbacks and a Grant spine.
In 18 NRL games with the Storm, Pezet has scored two tries, kicked five from six goals, and maintained a win ratio of almost 85%.
He has also shown he’s team-centric. “I’m confident in my ability to play 80 minutes at halfback,” he said, but he’s willing to play six or off the bench. "What’s best for the team.”
And who better to mentor him than Moses? A win-win. Moses spent the first half of his career at six with the Tigers, and the second half at seven with the Eels. On the Sixes and Sevens podcast, Moses said he wished he had a senior seven to guide him.
Bottom Line
In the bold V'Landys Universe of Attack, Attack, Attack, we don't have the supreme x-factor talents like Reece Walsh or Payne-Haas tanks through the middle to compete in a gunslinging, power shoot-out. We'll need to continue to build resilient systems with some creative enterprise. Winning on guts and pressure and nuance. A strong kicking game will be critical. Pezet provides added points of attack and opportunities, reducing pressure on Moses. His utility value to play both six or seven or off the bench is a plus, not a negative.
In the end, Jonah Pezet could be a luxury we can’t afford or the cornerstone we can’t afford to miss. The Ryles era is just getting started and this decision could define it. Will history remember it as bold brilliance or a missed opportunity, a Waterloo moment?
Source of Johah Pezet quotes: The Queenslander
Related blogs: Salary Cap , Where Do We Fit in the New Era?
Replies
He will be a cornerstone moment, similar to signing Mitch Moses. I wrote a blog back in July. "Can the Eels land Jonah Pezet".
I havnt changed my opinion. All class and a real half, that will change the way we run the team. Teams will not be able to double team Mitch and Jonah. Both can play halfback, both can play 5/8 roles, they can interchange , pop up everywhere and both can kick.
I'd love the signing. Bring it on. Make it happen Recruitment team.
Oh, damn, mate. You're right, Bluey. Apologies mate if I've covered well-trodden ground. I just wrote this on the spur of the moment.
No , no that's not what i meant at all. More the merrier, I'm a real fan of the kid and was pointing it out for a while. Hahahaha I'm all in on the kid.
🤞this is true. Iongi - Pezet - Moses - Smith spine.. Looks good to me..
That's the dream. A ten year spine that can grow together and build a team around. Making it happen is the challenge.
TDS will come good at hooker too, so that is one skillful spine we can lock in for the next 5-8 years and build the rest of the team around them. I can see Ryles being a 10 year coach at Parra with this spine.
Pezet is an option I'd go for at the right price. I don't think he needs to concern himself with being the dominant half right now. Moses was 25/26 when he got the 7 jersey full time. Another 3-4 years would be virtually the end of Moses' career and would give Pezet time to become a consistent first grader, but also let the Eels know if they have the right player or not.
But the right price is most important here. Good halves aren't cheap and in Pezet's case we're paying on potential which can bite you in the arse. On the flip side he's not a teenager. We'd be signing him with more experience at the same age as when we got Iongi.
Super, Agreed. Right Price, Right Now is the decisive factor. But what is that for a budding seven you play at six? We're going to pay the Ferryman for potential.
Could we really pick him up for less than Matto, say circa 650K? (Refer Salary Cap Blog)
It's going to take contractual wizardry. Healthy ratchets. Long-term incentives. Anasta is an agent I like more than most though.
Does anyone have an idea of where Dylan Browns $950K has gone now that he won't be with us. I just can't see how we have spent the coin we were offering him. Especially with others leaving / have left as well.
Surely Lanes money goes to Debellin with change left over.
Gutho's money went to Iongi with lots of change left over
Sivo's money went to Addo Carr etc etc etc.
Bluey, Trying to figure out the cap without even doing a simple spreadsheet is like lodging your taxes on leftover tissues. No accountant, no numbers, just vibes.
I've pulled this from the Salary Cap Blog. These are hypotheticals, providing clues. Not absolutes. Note, we (1) must spend 97.5% min. (2) thus must have space left for 2026 with spaces to fill (3) almost certainly are leaving extra space for mid-season purchases next year.
2025 Cap: Where did Gutho's, Sivo's, RCG's money go?
Key Top-30 Cap Losses and Gains
Lane playing for some of 2025 and was contracted for 2025-2026 before retiring, but not due to physical incapability of playing. How much dispensation we get is TBC.
2026: Where did Dylan Brown's Money Go?
For argument's sake, let's assume Dylan Brown was on 900K for 2025.
50% probability
El Cheapo scenario: living the dream (0.01% probability)
Here we assume we got TDS, JDB, Dylan Walker, JAC for dirt cheap, and Ryley signed an NRL contract which was barely above the minimum 140K.
It’s a fair assumption there would be some upgrade on a player’s CO (club option) contract.
Other players in the squad, such as Isaiah Iongi, Joash Papali'i, Jordan Samrani, Jack Williams, Sam Tuivaiti (and everyone else) are assumed not to have any ratchet clauses or upgrades in their contracts for 2026 from 2025, despite the increase in the salary cap. A big leap of faith.
The only way we could get spare change off Dylan is if he was on $1m plus and everyone above was signed dirt cheap. As he was on a PO-contract, it's more likely we got some discount.
For more information: 2025 Signings and Contracts , NRL.com Salary Cap Info
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