The race to land Melbourne Storm young gun Jonah Pezet continues, with another club entering the running to secure his services, while one club has decided to pull itself out of the race.
Touted as the future successor of Cameron Munster and Jahrome Hughes in the Storm’s halves, Pezet is contracted at the Storm until the end of 2029 but is now a free agent due Hughes extending his stay in Melbourne.
Due to a clause in his contract, Pezet, who is rated as one of the best young halves in the game of rugby league, is now able to test the open market, allowing him to talk with rival teams over a possible move.
A former junior State of Origin representative, he won’t find a shortage of suitors and has attracted the interest of yet another team as he long-term future remains uncertain.
Already linked with the Gold Coast Titans, News Corp has revealed that the North Queensland Cowboys have become the latest team to enter the race for Pezet as they prepare to enter 2026 with a new spine that will include Reed Mahoney.
Meanwhile, The Canberra Times understands that the Canberra Raiders have joined the Newcastle Knights in deciding to pull out of the race for the Storm playmaker after previously considering him as an option to replace the departing Jamal Fogarty.
The decision from the Raiders comes as they are on the verge of signing Daine Laurie on a three-year contract from the Penrith Panthers, and it’s understood that they are unable to accommodate his wage in their salary cap.
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“As it stands right now, technically he is off contract. I had the clause in there with Jahrome… we have been looking for the one-year loan,” Pezet’s manager Braith Anasta said on NRL 360 recently.
“But we are not sure where this is going to land right now, it’s sort of up in the air. But technically, he is a free agent.
“Of course (his preference) is to stay, but he is also a smart kid. Jahrome is the No. 7 and he’s just re-signed.
“We saw the other night how he plays as a No. 7.”