While he feels refreshed and ready to return to the Storm halves, Jahrome Hughes has been impressed by the performances of young gun Jonah Pezet in the number seven jersey ahead of the Club’s Round 6 clash with the Sydney Roosters in Melbourne.
With the 28-year-old Hughes missing rounds four and five due to a dangerous contact charge handed down by the NRL Judiciary, Pezet was promoted to the halfback position showcasing his talent in the key playmaking role across both games.
Hughes: "Pretty tough watching the boys"
“Obviously, it wasn't ideal to have two weeks off (through suspension) and it was pretty tough watching the boys, but they were playing really good footy,” Hughes said on Monday.
“It's good to watch. He's (Pezet) a confident kid and he has showed that by playing three outstanding games now.
“He's still learning...it just shows how much potential he does have.”
That potential is something that can only be good for the Club according to the New Zealand International.
“It's good for the club...we've probably lost a couple of halves in the last couple of years, but to have that competition in the halves position, Jonah will be biting at mine and [Cameron] Munster's ankles trying to get a go, so it makes us play better.”
Originally moving to Melbourne with fullback as his preferred position, the Currumbin Eagles junior shifted to halfback when he joined the Club in 2017 as the understudy to club legend Cooper Cronk.
Six years later, the now vice-captain is in the mentoring role he benefitted from all those years ago but shares that the learning never stops no matter how much experience you have at first-grade level.
“There’s little things here and there, but I think he (Jonah) already carries himself around the club...the way he's willing to learn and hard working he is, we're sort of helping each other out there,” Hughes admitted.
"I'm still learning the halfback position myself, so we're getting great confidence from each other.”
