‘Wouldn’t surprise me’: Twist in race for rising Storm star… and why NRL rival has ‘nose in front’
The Storm are still very much in the running to hold onto promising halfback Jonah Pezet despite reports three other clubs vying for his services.
Pezet has been linked with a number of NRL rivals as the talented playmaker finds himself behind champion halfback Jahrome Hughes, who is contracted until the end of 2029.
The 22-year-old’s deal also runs through 2029 but a get-out clause was triggered when Hughes signed his extension.
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The Eels and Cowboys have been confirmed as showing major interest in Pezet while it’s also been rumoured the Broncos could move to sign him as a long-term replacement for Adam Reynolds.
The Daily Telegraph’s Brent Read, however, says the Storm are firmly in the running to retain Pezet with uncertainty surrounding the futures of fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen and coach Craig Bellamy key factors.
”I think Parra might have their noses in front but it wouldn’t surprise me if he stays because there’s a lot going on in Melbourne and they’ve got a lot of moving parts at the moment,” Read said on Triple M.
“You’ve got the Papenhuyzen situation where he’s off contract at the end of next year. The club might decide to let him go early if he wants to go to R360. You’ve got the Munster situation with Perth hovering around.
“The Storm are juggling a lot of balls at the moment, and then you’ve got the coaching situation as well. I’m sure Jonah would love to know who the coach is going to be next year.”
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There’s a chance that Pezet signs a loan deal with another team before potentially returning to the Storm after a year.
However, if Pezet is to sign a long-term deal with any club, the Eels make the most sense, according to Read’s colleague Michael Carayannis.
“They’ve got Mitch Moses locked in, Isaiah Iongi (fullback) who’s a gun and an absolute freak and then they’ve got two good hookers (Ryley Smith and Tallyn Da Silva),” Carayannis said.
“You look at that spine and if they sign Pezet, it’s probably the most settled 1, 6, 7 and 9 long-term going forward in the competition so I can understand the attraction there.”
