Jonah Pezet signs off on Eels, Broncos mega-deal after Storm exit

This masthead revealed last week that Pezet was poised to spend 2026 at the Eels before moving to the Broncos to become the premier’s long-term replacement for Adam Reynolds.

The Eels officially confirmed the 12-month deal on Wednesday after the former Storm playmaker completed a medical at the club.

Pezet is expected to begin training with his new teammates in December as he looks to hit the ground running under coach Jason Ryles.

Pezet’s main mission will be to forge a bond with halfback and captain Mitchell Moses in the lead-up to round one, although Moses is currently on the Ashes tour and likely won’t begin training until the new year.

Ryles revealed he remained in touch with Pezet after leaving Melbourne and described the one-year-deal as a win for all the parties.

“It benefited everyone and it wasn’t like it was planned, but when the opportunity came up - Dean Hawkins had made it pretty clear he was ready to move on to bigger and better things if they came up,” Ryles said.

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“Jonah was about. Timing was a big thing for it. The one-year thing, it is not black and white the strategy going forward in regards to not signing anyone, it is more this worked and it gave the kids in our pathway a pathway to the NRL.

“I didn’t want to just sign over them but if something world class came up and you are able to do it, you want to do it. I am never going to say we are never going to do it. But in this situation it just worked for everyone.”

Ryles said he and Pezet had remained in touch after he left the Storm.

“We gravitated to each other,” he said.

“I spoke to him in between (jobs). Never with the idea to have what happened, happen. It was more that we got on well and still spoke. We texted and every now and then we had a phone call to see how he was going.

“He is a likable kid. He is really hungry in regards to learning about footy. I found him good to talk to about footy. I learned stuff off him. That is probably how the relationship started and it grew from there.

“We would chew the fat aboud footy and it grew from there.”

Ryles said he had spoken to other players at the club about Pezet’s arrival, including youngster Joash Papalii.

“I made it really clear to Joash that he still has a really big opportunity here to develop and he is only early in his journey in the NRL,” Ryles said.

“He is still part of the plans moving forward. To get himself where he has got to he has done a really good job and worked really hard, but he has to continue to do that.”

Parramatta Eels general manager of football Mark O’Neill echoed the coach’s thoughts.

“Jonah is one of the most exciting young talents in the game,” O’Neill said.

“He adds class and depth to our halves as we head into the 2026 season. Jonah will join us for a year which makes us better now whilst also allowing time for our emerging talent to continue their development through our pathways system.

“Our head coach Jason Ryles has previously worked with Jonah and knows first-hand the professionalism and impact he can have in a team environment. We’re excited to welcome Jonah to the club and look forward to seeing him connect with our squad and Eels community in 2026.”

While some Eels fans reacted with dismay that the club had agreed to sign Pezet on a short-term deal as a stopover on his ultimate switch to the Broncos, Parramatta are adamant the move will help their long-term halves transition.

Pezet had stated his desire to be a starting NRL halfback, something he couldn’t achieve at the Eels with Mitchell Moses, 31, signed for another four years.

By the time Moses’ career winds down, the Eels believe their next generation of halves will be ready to take charge of the NRL team.

Halfback Lincoln Fletcher and five-eighth Lorenzo Talataina led the Eels to this season’s SG Ball (under-19s) grand final, a competition in which the latter was named player of the year.

Talataina, a ball-running half, is on a development deal for the next two seasons before he is due to join the top-30 squad in 2028.

He made his NSW Cup debut this season, playing eight games in the No.6 jersey.

Fletcher, seen as the potential successor to Moses at halfback, has two years remaining on his current deal.

The Eels have been reluctant to sign players above their talented local juniors, especially given they lost Blaize Talagi and Ethan Sanders to Penrith and Canberra, respectively, last season, as their path to first grade was blocked by Dylan Brown and Moses.

Talataina and Fletcher will join the Eels’ NRL squad for pre-season training as Ryles looks to further the pair’s development.

Pezet is coming off a season in which he helped the Storm to the grand final, playing a starring role in their finals win over the Bulldogs before handing over the No.7 jersey to Jahrome Hughes on his return from injury.

The 22-year-old played eight games for the Storm this season but activated a clause in his contract after the grand final which gave him the ability to go to the open market.

He attracted interest from a handful of clubs before opting to ink a deal which will see him spend the 2025 season at Parramatta before a move to the Broncos, where he will join a spine that already includes superstar Reece Walsh and classy five-eighth Ezra Mam.

Reynolds and Ben Hunt both come off contract at the end of 2026 and neither has ruled out playing on in 2027.

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While reluctant to lose Pezet, the Storm will now focus their retention on five-eighth Cameron Munster, who is currently on international duty with the Kangaroos.

“Jonah has been a much-loved member of our squad for the past four years. He has worked incredibly hard to overcome his injury setbacks, displaying great character and a positive attitude throughout his time at Storm,” Storm director of football, Frank Ponissi said.

“While we’re disappointed to lose a player of Jonah’s talent, we understand his decision to explore his options. We thank Jonah for his service to our club and wish him the best for his next chapter.”