The Melbourne Storm may have a battle on their hands to hang onto boom young half Jonah Pezet.
Currently recovering from an ACL injury sustained playing in the QLD Cup mid-season, Pezet has long been touted as one of the best young halves in the game, and has done a solid job within the Melbourne system filling in for Jahrome Hughes and Cameron Munster at various times.
Now with ten NRL games under his belt, the 21-year-old, who will be back on the park in time for Round 1 next year and has one year to run on his current deal at the Storm which expires at the end of the 2025 season, is in the sights of the Newcastle Knights according to the Newcastle Herald.
The Knights' recruitment boss Peter O'Sullivan - who only arrived at the club recently after being in the role for the inaugural Dolphins' outfit, is currently wading through a salary cap that has been described as a 'mess', but it hasn't stopped him confirming the club's interest in Pezet, who they can't talk to until November 1.
"He's someone we're very interested in, yeah," O'Sullivan told the publication.
"But we can't talk to him yet."
There is realistically no chance of progression at the Storm - both Munster and Hughes are locked in at the club, and while the Storm don't want to lose Pezet, they may not have a choice.
The youngster is, at the very least, unlikely to re-sign with the Storm prior to November 1 as he moves to understand both his worth, and what role he may be able to play elsewhere on the free market.
Pezet is a Knights' junior, and the club have Jackson Hastings off-contract at the end of next year which will free up the salary cap space neccessary to sign Pezet - at this stage, it's unclear whether the Knights and Adam O'Brien's recruitment staff have interest in re-signing Hastings.