Which is where Pezet comes in. Ryles has a strong relationship with Pezet from their time together in Melbourne and believes the 22-year-old will help bring through the crop of promising playmakers, who are probably a season away from the rigours of first-grade football.
If the Eels were to sign Pezet on a longer contract, they would run the risk of losing a talented junior who felt his path to the NRL was blocked.
Lachlan Galvin slipped through Parramatta’s fingers twice.Credit: Getty Images
The move has the potential to benefit all parties. The Eels should be competitive next season with a spine that includes Moses, Pezet, Ken Thornett medalist Isaiah Iongi at fullback and a hooker rotation of Ryley Smith and Tallyn Da Silva.
It gives Pezet – whose father Troy played a season for Parramatta in 1998 – a chance to add to his 18 NRL appearances after being stuck behind Cameron Munster and Jahrome Hughes in Melbourne. And when his Eels deal expires, he will shift to Brisbane to replace Adam Reynolds as the long-term No.7.
The arrival of Pezet at Parramatta, pending a medical clearance next week when he comes back from a holiday, will have a knock-on effect. Dean Hawkins, who made a dozen first-grade appearances in the halves for the Eels next year, has been granted a release to pursue a long-term deal in the English Super League.
And Joash Papalii, who filled in capably in a number of positions last season without cementing any one of them, will be given more time to develop, most likely off the bench.
The Pezet move is in keeping with Ryles’ philosophy of setting Parramatta up for the future, rather than chasing quick wins that could leave the club exposed down the track. If he was after the latter, he would have hung onto Clint Gutherson, Regan Campbell-Gillard, Maika Sivo, Joe Ofahengaue and Bryce Cartwright.
Knowing when to blood a talented young half isn’t a problem unique to Parramatta, with clubs all across the NRL grappling with quandary. Sometimes a bridging player can be a bridge too far.
At Manly, they have in Onitoni Large and Joe Walsh – the latter made his NRL debut off the bench in the last game of the season – two or the most exciting juniors in the game. Had Daly Cherry-Evans stayed for one more season, it may have turned out to be the perfect time for one or both to come through. However, the departure of “DCE” prompted the Sea Eagles to find a replacement, resulting in a three-year deal for Canberra’s Jamal Fogarty. Only time will tell if that is a year or two too long.
Then there’s the expected arrival of Cherry-Evans at the Roosters, which has already resulted in Sandon Smith being squeezed out to Newcastle. How long will Hugo Savala and NSW under-19s halfback Toby Rodwell be prepared to bide their time?
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Is Canberra’s Ethan Sanders – a Parramatta junior who ironically left because he didn’t see a future at the Eels – ready for first grade next year?
And then, over at the Bulldogs, you have Galvin. Having offloaded Toby Sexton, is Galvin ready to run the team? Is exciting prospect Mitch Woods ready to start next season as the Canterbury halfback? Is it too much to ask of two youngsters?
The Eels have made their decision. Whether their young guns turn out to be as good as Galvin, only time will tell. However, they’ve learnt the hard way that the Lachlan Galvins of the world don’t come around often, so it’s best not to let them slip through your fingers.
