NRL player agent Braith Anasta has all but confirmed Jonah Pezet will not be landing at the St George Illawarra Dragons in 2026 if he does leave the Melbourne Storm.
Pezet was rated by Zero Tackle as the best on ground during Melbourne’s qualifying final win against the Canterbury Bulldogs on Friday evening.
His kicking game allowed Melbourne to stay in, and then get to the front of the contest, but there is a very real chance his number of starts in the number seven jumper for this year will remain at two, with Jahrome Hughes set to attempt a return for the preliminary final in a fortnight, where Melbourne will clash with one of the Canberra Raiders, Brisbane Broncos, Cronulla Sharks or Sydney Roosters.
Pezet’s future has been a topic of hot discussions throughout the course of this year, with the youngster, who returned from an ACL injury in the middle of the year and is rated as one of the best young halves anywhere in the competition, re-signing with the Storm, but inserting a clause into his deal that means he can leave if Jahrome Hughes re-signs, which he since has.
There is still a chance Pezet remains attached to the Storm, whether that be through Cameron Munster heading to the Perth Bears on a multi-million dollar deal, or the youngster heading out on loan.
Even if Munster does go to the Bears, it has been speculated the Storm could agree to a 12-month loan for Pezet.
The Dragons have been floated as one of the clubs where that is an option, but replying to an Instagram comment from a Dragons fan asking Anasta to help Pezet to the Red V, the player agent and NRL 360 host admitted he ‘doesn’t have much faith’ in the club following their work with Lachlan Ilias this year.
“Unfortunately, after this year with Lachy, I don’t have much faith,” Anasta wrote in the comment.
Ilias spent much of the year in reserve grade after being dropped by coach Shane Flanagan, who kept faith in halves combination Kyle Flanagan and Lyhkan King-Togia.
Speculation suggests Ilias, who had left the Rabbitohs to join the Dragons, is now also looking for a way out of the joint-venture, with the Dragons adding Daniel Atksinon from the Cronulla Sharks to their roster for next season.
Pezet would likely walk straight into the number seven jersey at the joint-venture, but may be advised against even considering an offer from the club who said in the later half of the season that they were still looking to sign a marquee halfback, seemingly expressing doubt over any of Ilias, Flanagan or the arriving Atkinson to play the role.