“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, after some significant injuries (another risk) 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. His game-changing kicking game and footy IQ as a bona-fide half, gives us a rare one-two punch in Moses. We talk about x-factor, well there it is.
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: Eels' Salary Cap Study, Where Do We Fit in the New Era / V'Landys Universe?
Replies
That's the best argument you can raise Homer and I like Bup's reading (nothing unusual there) of it.....nearly have me convinced, just wonder if he is good enough? He is a rookie at the end of the day.
Hope we haven't paid more than the mooted 500k x 3.
Pooopa, you're forgetting something R360.
I am ignoring R360 for the time being, using that logic I would be going after established players....paying 1m for Burton will gave us a much better scenario using your logic.....we just may have a couple of Pezet in our current ranks, what if he is a "flop" Burton would not be...thats a guarantee.
Signing Burton, you might aswell put a second rower at 5/8. He's to cumbersome to be a half, hence the dogs looking to move him. That's why they've signed Galvin to 6
And people better stop burying their heads in the sand regarding 360. 20 or 30 top line players will be moving all the big guns
Chiefy, R360 concerns me too. It's an asteroid. With dangerous domino-effects in worst-case scenarios: If it gains traction, size & momentum. Or it might fizzle out to nothing much as it enters our orbits. It's hard to predict outcomes at this stage. Our administrators don't seem publicly panicked, but the strong rhetoric in RU and RL dismissing it and poo-pooing it suggests some concerns.
I suppose the R360 thing is subjective but you cannot control the uncontrollable and until the "comet" hits then there is not much you can do.
Chiefy, there is another subjective aspect you have missed, what makes you think Pezet is that good and your comments about Burton are frankly naive and shows up your own lack of credibility.
Note! I am not saying Pezet is no good, just not a 6 and is still an unproven rookie, your 360 argument therefore has no substance. You will find if 360 evolves like you suggest, players like Burton will be GOLD.
Joash Papalii will never be a consistent 6 at NRL level. What is everyone talking about.
He is a good fullback that is about 2 seasons away from a permanent role there.
He is a great option to have on the bench as a cover all and energy lifter type player.
It's clear he loves the club, he won't leave, we are in a really good place stop panicking.
TDS is the intriguing one, I think he will spend some time at lock next year and work between covering 9 and filling in for Walker. It cannot be understated how good Walker has been.
We have built an incredible top 30.
Joash may want to play week to week FG though and the opportunity may well have just closed here would you blame him for asking for an early release if an opportunity arose for himself somewhere else.
I like joash with our hookers who runs when Moses is out ,actually if Moses and joash is out who runs at all ,iongi dosnt do broken play .who's replacing paulo
Well Hawkins would do that job if Moses is out and we have no other recruits. Joash would have a bigger role just the same.
Hawkins can still play 7 if Moses is out and a 5/8 like Burton would come into his own as the organiser away from the ruck.
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