Jahrome Hughes’ four-year Storm extension has triggered a clause in Jonah Pezet’s contract that could make him the most sought-after player on the open market and create a domino effect.
FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer >
Pezet only inked a four-year extension last December that has tied him to the Storm until the end of 2029, but he has a get-out clause if Hughes re-signed with the club.
Hughes’ new Storm will take him through until the end of the 2030 season when he will be 35 years old.
Pezet is only 22, but would have to wait until he was 27 to be the Storm’s main No.7 if he stayed with the club and extended beyond his current deal.
More likely he will trigger his release clause and test his value on the open market and there will be no shortage of clubs lining up for arguably the best young halfback in the game.
Pezet is a NSW junior Origin representative and would have played many more than his 12 NRL games since his debut in 2023 had he not been stuck behind Hughes and Cameron Munster at the Storm.
Complicating matters is the fact Munster has been linked with a release from the final year of his current deal in 2027 to link with the Perth Bears on a monster deal worth potentially $1.5 million to be their marquee man in their inaugural season.
MORE NRL NEWS
RESERVES WRAP: Warriors statement as Cleary 2.0 explodes; Sexton’s class after axe
MEGA DEAL: Hughes turns back on $1.5m a season to ink mega Storm extension
WHISPERS: Raiders’ bid to lock up imports, weighs up gun’s release to join Dragons
The Storm are reluctant to let Munster go, but given his service to the club they would likely not stand in his way if he wants a change of scenery at the back end of his career.
Melbourne may want to keep Pezet if they let Munster go to join the Bears and pair him with Hughes in a new look halves pairing from 2027.
Tracey suffers freak abdominal injury | 01:08
The Storm also have Tyran Wishart on their books, who will vie with Pezet to replace Hughes while he recovers from a shoulder injury that is set to keep him out until the finals at the earliest.
Wishart has an option in the club’s favour for 2026 and the Storm are keen to keep him, but he has been linked to a return to his junior club the Dragons when his current deal expires.
Who Craig Bellamy picks to replace Hughes could have implications for Pezet, who will likely look for an opportunity elsewhere if he is not the next cab off the rank.
He may look to leave anyway because waiting another two seasons for Munster to leave is robbing Pezet of playing first grade consistently, which he clearly has the skills to do now.
Pezet knocked back a lucrative deal from the Knights last year to stay at the Storm, with a number of other clubs also interested in his services as well.
That number will only increase if he becomes available after Hughes’ contract call with plenty of clubs in the NRL desperate for a chief playmaker to turn their fortunes around.
Read on for the potential landing spots for Pezet if he leaves the Storm.
EELS
The Eels are on the lookout for a new half to partner Mitchell Moses, with Dylan Brown set to join the Knights on a record $13 million 10-year deal in 2026.
Moses has the Eels’ No.7 jersey for the rest of his career, but will want a running mate that can help him win a premiership before he hangs up the boots.
Moses is signed until the end of 2029 when he will be 35 and will be approaching the end of his career.
That could mean Pezet serves the Eels at five-eighth for the next four seasons, before taking over the No.7 jersey when Moses finishes up.
Jason Ryles has used Dean Hawkins and Joash Papalii at No.6 in recent weeks, but there is no doubt he would be on the lookout for a quality half to pair with Moses.
The Eels also have plenty of cash to splash after a player clean-out that has seen Clint Gutherson, Bryce Cartwright, Maika Sivo and Ryan Matterson leave the club, so they would be well placed to make a susbtantial offer.
Kevvie begins calls for Ashes selections | 01:59
KNIGHTS
The Knights had a crack at Pezet last season with a big money offer, before turning their attention to Dylan Brown when he inked an extension with the Storm.
It remains to be seen how much money the Knights have in their cap for another half, given what they are paying Brown and Kalyn Ponga and the other positions they need to fill in their roster.
However, Jackson Hastings is set to leave the club at the end of the season, which will free up $800,000 that could be used to land Pezet and partner him with Brown.
The knock on Brown is that he is not a halfback, so keeping him at No.6 and bringing in Pezet at No.7 would make sense.
Rumours Kalyn Ponga will leave the club after his current deal expires in 2027 only adds to the Knights’ urgency to get players that can help them win now and Pezet could fit the bill in both the short and long term.
Ciraldo proven right after big win | 03:10
DRAGONS
The Dragons have made no secret of their desire to land a quality halfback after struggling to close out a number of close games in 2025.
Shane Flanagan has kept faith with son Kyle after dropping Lachlan Ilias early in the season, but there are doubts either player can lead the Dragons back to the finals.
Pezet could be the ideal player to build their attack around at No.7 and allow Flanagan and Lyhkan King-Togia to battle for the five-eighth spot and potentially use Flanagan at hooker.
However, the Dragons have also been linked with Tyran Wishart, who is a local junior and is off-contract at the end of 2026.
Could the Dragons could potentially bring both Pezet and Wishart to the club on a package deal?
Dolphins pairing hoping to return in NZ | 01:52
TITANS
The Titans have been searching for a halfback to build the club around since Scott Prince retired and Daly Cherry-Evans backflipped on joining the club.
Jayden Campbell is a talented player and has made a good fist of playing halfback this season, but his best position is still fullback.
Meanwhile, Kieran Foran will hang up the boots at the end of the season and Carter Gordon is yet to debut for the club after his switch from the Wallabies was thwarted by injury.
The Titans need to improve in a number of areas, most notably their defence, but until they get an elite halfback to build the club around, they won’t be making finals any time soon.
Signing Pezet to a long-term deal to be their chief playmaker is a better option than any they have tried in the No.7 jersey in years.
Cronk shows Panthers change in attack | 04:18
BRONCOS
The Broncos are flush with halves options at the moment and their salary cap is full, but Adam Reynolds and Ben Hunt are likely to retire at the end of the 2026 season.
That means Ezra Mam will be on the lookout for a new halves partner to take the Broncos into the future and Pezet could be the perfect fit.
The Broncos have Coby Black on their books who is highly regarded, but he is still very early in his development and Pezet has served his apprenticeship under two of the game’s best playmakers at the Storm.
The money freed up by the retirements of Reynolds and Hunt could put the Broncos in a position to make a very competitive long-term offer to Pezet with the promise of the No.7 jersey.
That could mean he stays at the Storm for one last year in 2026, before taking over the Broncos’ No7 jersey in 2027.
Jett Cleary scores double in big win | 00:59
