UPDATE: 16/10 Latest according to Foxsport: An Alleged Three-Horse Race. After a holiday, Pezet will decide on either going to the Eels, Cowboys or staying put at the Storm and/or with temporary loan deal. There is also interest from other clubs such as the Bears and Saints. No mention of the Raiders in that article.
“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
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.
Mitch will not do less kicking because Pezet is in the side, he will be a better kicker than Brown just the same.
I thought I read somewhere that Parra had offered him 1.5m over 3 years.....that seems reasonable under the circmstances that he is a "rookie" yes that right peeps, he is a "rookie".
Rookie in the sense that technically this would be his first full year starting.
What if Joash blows him away in the preseason? Joash is a lot "slicker". TDS has/had similar wraps and he is on the bench behind Smithy and rightfully so!
Let's not fall for the trap of Dogs offering Galvin a "golden hello" and falling on their faces!
PS LB it probably won't happen but I am emphasising he is a rookie......I wonder if Joash was playing for Storm and came into their side ah la Pezet, whether we would be chasing him?
Da Silva came in with 9 games to go, of course he would be on the bench knowing our system. Was not til the last game where he clicked. He wasn't on the bench due to ability or not good enough. Ryles will let Smith and Da Silva fight it out.
As for Joash beating Pezet, well anything is possible and Ryles I believe will name best player but Ryles has seen Papali'i play 6 in game and training, he knows what he has in Papali'i and if he was convinced he wouldn't have gone for Pezet.
Papalii is slicker but doesn't translate to constant play to the point where Papali'i is the best 6 for us. Joash was fine at 6, but that's all he was, showed he is capable to fill in. Can he get better? Of course but seems the coaching staff see otherwise and we will have to see what hindsight gives us.
In terms of Joash at Melbourne, I do not think so as his play at 6 has not warranted the attraction. It's not Ryles is going "let's see what's at Melbourne that I can buy"
Storm did good with a fullback to halves, Hughes and Munster came throught that route.
Wasn't my point, who's to say that Pezet is/would be better than Joash.???
Hang on I will answer that Ryles, but remember Ryles also wanted Talagi and Galvin so his judgement is human! He also obviously wanted TDS and the jury is still out there? Yes he did come good in the last round.....we won by 60 points....relevance is still an issue and again I am assuming we paid 350k for TDS and not the rediculous number that people want to quote when talking their agenda/book.
Pezet would have been on how much at Storm 150/200 ?? What's Joash on at Parra 150? how would Joash have gone in that Storm side if the positions were reversed?
I do not think Papali'i would be a 6 in Storm system he would be a 1 like he came to Parramatta as he has played in lower grades. Joash was playing too good to keep out and 6 spot opened up.
Wouldn't this be something you would say is hypothetical Poppa? I mean it is a question that will never be answered for either of us to be right about but I don't think Melbourne play Joash as a 6, full-time anyway.
Plus it seems a lot of clubs want Pezet, not many wanted Joash at his best spot at Fullback. Granted a Melbourne tax could be added to that.
He wanted Talagi to be Fullback. Galvin I would say is a better 6 than Joash. Joash was fine at 6 but did he have a breakout game?
He wanted another Hooker and TDS came available. Jury is out as he has yet to have a pre-season with us. Ryles will get one wrong, but the fact that Ryles has gone for not one but two 5/8's despite having Joash there says he wants someone else.
If a club signs Joash in 2028 I bet it will be to play 1. His best games for us were at 1. What qualities in his game demonstrated he is a must have at 6?
I hope I'm wrong and Joash breaks out as a 6 as it means Parra have a new great player.
Parra's last tackle/kicking options seemed very predictable this year with most of the kicking being done by Moses. Pezet seems to have a strong kicking game which I think would help mix things up a bit and take the pressure off Mitch.
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