Young gun Jonah Pezet has confirmed he will sign with the Parramatta Eels for 2026, before moving to the Brisbane Broncos on a long-term deal.
The move, which was first reported last week, comes after Pezet activated a get-out clause in his contract at the Melbourne Storm, despite having previously signed with the Victorian club for the years ahead.
The Storm’s decision to re-sign Jahrome Hughes saw him head for the exit gates.
Pezet will first link up with Jason Ryles’ rebuild in the west of Sydney, playing alongside Mitchell Moses in 2026. The move all but confirms Parramatta will then turn their attention to young halves Lorenzo Talataina and Lincoln Fletcher, while what it means for the also contracted Joash Papalii remains to be seen.
“Jonah is one of the most exciting young talents in the game,” Parramatta’s general manager of football Mark 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 firsthand 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.”
The move to sign Pezet comes despite Ryles getting Papalii ready for 2026 throughout the back-end of 2025, with Dylan Brown dropped to reserve grade for much of the second half of the campaign ahead of his move to the Newcastle Knights.
From there, the Brisbane Broncos have confirmed Pezet has signed a three-year contract to become the club’s new halfback in 2027, 2028 and 2029, where he will take over from Adam Reynolds.
“We’re delighted to have secured Jonah’s services to the Broncos for the 2027 season and beyond,” Broncos general manager of recruitment Simon Scanlan said.
“As a Club, we’ve been extremely impressed with Jonah – not only for his talent and potential as a developing player but also for the professionalism and character he’s shown as a young man.
“We wish him all the very best for the upcoming season and look forward to welcoming him to the Broncos in November next year.”
The Broncos will likely lose Coby Black as a result of the move to sign Pezet, with the youngster now likely to hit free agency on November 1.
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