Parramatta Eels captain Mitchell Moses has brushed off claims that Jonah Prezet's signing to the club isn't a secure plan for the future.
Pezet will spend one season at the Eels before joining the Brisbane Broncos on a three-year deal, taking over the reins from Adam Reynolds, who will retire at the end of the season.
However, the Eels' arrangement with Pezet has come under scrutiny, with many believing it is a risky play that may jeopardise the long-term success plan of the club, halting the growth of their talented young playmakers.
The unorthodox move will see the Eels go all out in a premiership raid this year, while carefully keeping the juniors nursed up to speed for 2027.
Moses, when speaking with Wide World of Sports, has shut down the claims, saying that Pezet is the missing piece to their premiership campaign and that he can benefit the young, talented crop of players coming through their pathways.
"That's the club's decision that they've made," Moses said.
"They've obviously got their ways in what and around it, and their opinions, but we've got some really good kids coming through at the moment who are young, and you don't want to rush them in.
"So, they can learn under Jonah, and Jonah helps us win now, and that's, I think, what it was around that.
"We want to win now."
With the club set to have an 'all-in' approach for Pezet at the club, it is designed to help ease the pressure off the young players coming through, while also looking for rapid success in 2026, somewhat a win-win situation.
Moses believes that if at any point a club has the opportunity to sign someone of the calibre of Pezet, it should be taken, and he has given him full praise since joining the Western Sydney club.
"He's been a good addition to us, and he's really fit in with the playing group, and we're excited to have him on board," Moses said.
"He's a very confident kid, he's very loud, and very assertive, so that's good. You want that in your halves.
"He brings a bit of a different aspect to our footy and a bit of different values to our footy."
It is expected he will play five-eighth come Round 1; however, a bonus for the Eels is Pezet's strong presence as a dominant ball-player.
If Moses is in the NSW Origin camp come 2026, it will see Pezet seamlessly transition into the chief playmaking role at club land, giving an edge over other clubs who struggle during the mid-season period.
