Corey Parker has claimed the Melbourne Storm could look to sign Broncos academy star Coby Black after Jonah Pezet opted to leave the club before the 2026 season. Pezet is expected to join Parramatta in 2026 before a big-money move to the Brisbane Broncos in 2027.
The move sent shockwaves through the NRL with Parramatta fans questioning why their club would sign the halfback on a one-year deal. Pezet has proven his talent in the NRL, but teams have only seen a limited sample size with the 22-year-old restricted to 18 games for the Storm. This is because he has sat behind Jahrome Hughes and Cameron Munster in the halves.
Corey Parker has claimed the Melbourne Storm could look to sign Broncos academy star Coby Black (pictured left) with Jonah Pezet (pictured right) set to leave the Storm and end up in Brisbane in 2027. (Images: AAP/Getty Images)
But the talented playmaker will get more game time at the Eels in 2026, before he is expected to make the move up to the Broncos and replace Adam Reynolds. But Pezet’s expected move to the Broncos has raised eyebrows in Brisbane.
Many fans were under the impression talented star Black was being moulded into the club’s long-term halfback. The 19-year-old is considered one of the most promising talents coming through the ranks in Brisbane.
Darren Lockyer has spoken about the youngster in the past and Ben Hunt was said to be helping out Black in training throughout the 2025 season. But Pezet’s arrival could leave Black’s future in doubt at the club.
Pezet is expected to sign a long-term deal at the Broncos, which would see him as the primary halfback for the future. And while Black is young, he might not see a role in Brisbane with game time potentially limited. And Broncos great Parker feels a number of teams, including the Storm, could make a play for the youngster. If the Storm were to sign Black, it would allow him to develop for another three to four years in Melbourne before taking the primary playmaking role.
Regardless, Black is off contract at the end of 2026 and will soon be able to negotiate with rival clubs if he feels his future is going to be elsewhere. “They might need Black for depth but I’m not sure where he could end up,” Parker said on SEN Radio.
“If someone came knocking for Coby Black, I don’t think the Broncos would stand in his way. The Melbourne Storm could absolutely have a crack at recruiting him.” Parker isn’t the only one to claim Black could be on the lookout for a new club soon.
Coby Black (pictured) could find himself stuck behind Jonah Pezet at the Broncos. (AAP Image/Darren England)
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Reporter Michael Carayannis felt the young halfback is now the odd one out in the side. “The interesting one is this Coby Black, who’s this young gun prodigy that has been earmarked for a long time to be the Broncos half, surely he doesn’t stick around,” Carayannis said on SEN Radio.
“He’s off contract at the end of next year… I’d be surprised if he even starts the season there. If I’m Brisbane, why would you keep him now? (You can) clear a little bit of cap space. You’ve still got Reynolds, Hunt, Mam, Billy Walters… did a great job when he went into the halves, so they don’t need him.” Earlier this year, Black received attention after a match winning performances for Queensland in the Under 19 State of Origin series.
Darren Lockyer praises Coby Black’s development
Speaking earlier this year, Lockyer talked about Black’s development and hinted the 19-year-old is potentially the long-term replacement in the role. “The spine long term, I think there’s a couple of players there… there’s a young kid called Coby Black coming through, he’s been pretty impressive in Q Cup,” Lockyer said on the QLDER show before the start of the season.
“He will have another year under his belt while Adam’s there, and he’s learning from Adam. I think there’s options there, but you don’t replace Adam overnight. It will take time.”
Coby Black (pictured left) has been training with a number of stars such as Adam Reynolds (pictured right) to help his development. (AAP Image/Darren England)