“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
It's onething I'm not worried about EA as if JR was he wouldn't have gone for him it's that simple really.JR knows how they'll work together.
I think you'll see both guys mainly at second receiver with Walker connecting them basically left and rights with the odd connection if we play long field.
Me I'm worried about losing Lomax because we don't have a guy coming out from the backfield that's capable of 20 plus carries and 200 plus running metres.That's onething we can't afford to lose.
Yea I said on another comment that Sami would have been a good replacement for that. But he is going to the dragons apparently. I rather keep Lomax over Pezet.
People are quick to point out the flaws in Lomax game but than fail to recognise his strengths. Fail to recognise he is still an Origin and Kangaroos player. Still only 26 as well.
People willing to loose Lomax just to get Pezet who is yet to fully prove himself and not even going to play his natural position. Plus how many people have failed outside the storms system. Some are acting like he is definitely going to turn out to be an elite halfback just because a couple of games this season.
Are we sure it is Pezet for Lomax? It's more likely paper talk as it seems we are about to sign Pezet and Lomax is still here.
Yep even Sami is a big step back from Lomax though and I guess a lot will find flaws with players I to have been guilty of that over the years.But I agree it's why the whole Pezet decision success or fail lies on the coach as I have no doubt he has his fingerprints all over this signing if it comes to fruition.
With Jonah being 23 at the start of next season and Moses being 31, I really hope the Eels give Jonah long enough to learn from Moses so he can take over the #7 jersey whenever Moses hangs up his boots. Halves usually hit their peak in their late 20's therefore, Jonah will play his best and most consistent football in 4 or 5 years.
Jonah got tongues wagging with that finals performance and rightly so, but he's been on the cusp of 1st grade for a while now and up until a few weeks ago he hasn't exactly looked like a player with a ridiculous skill set to be worth paying big dollars for especially if we get into a bidding war with Canberra for example. Personally I'd rather wait and hope for a Burton type player to become available. I'd rather pay a mill for Burton than 650 for Pezet, that's just my opinion. I think it's a little premature to be thinking about a Moses replacement when I reckon he easily has another 5 years in him. Moses is our 7, we need to be looking at a 6 with spunk and X factor that can offer something different to Moses
Agree its too early to look for a Moses replacement. So any idea of buying Pezet because he could one day replace Moses is poor thinking. I am not saying I have the answer on who should play 6 next year because I am not confident in Joash or Pezet. Plus Lorenzo at least 1 year away if he improves his defence.
Well it is not just "sign him as Moses has 4 years left and work it out from there"
Ryles would sign Pezet to be our 6 in someway he likes them to play, bonus being when Moses retires he can be the 7. It's not the main reason to get him.
At this stage just have to see, we could sign Cleary and no guarentees he works out. Just the way it is.
"A strong kicking game will be critical"
You're spot on there mate. Having another good kicker in the side should benefit us. It would take the pressure off Mitch and make our last tackle options less predictable.
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