'You want to play big games': Pezet aiming to steer Storm to top

Dally M Medallist Jahrome Hughes is helping rookie halfback Jonah Pezet to unleash strike second-rower Eli Katoa as the Storm aim to avoid playing in Sydney until the grand final.

Pezet, who is widely considered a star halfback in waiting, is set to be given responsibility for steering the Storm around for a second consecutive week as they seek to seal a top two berth by beating the Bulldogs at AAMI Park on Friday night.

A win would see Melbourne climb four points ahead of third-placed Canterbury with two games in hand and all but guarantee the Storm second spot.

Even if the Storm were to lose their remaining two games against the Roosters and Broncos, Melbourne has a differential of +252 compared to +120 for the Bulldogs.

“You want to be in that top two so that you can get a home prelim or a home semi and then if you come in the top two you get two home semis so that's pretty important for us,” Pezet told 94ddz.com.

“We love playing at AAMI Park in front of our home fans so that’s what we're striving for.”

With home matches against the Bulldogs and Roosters before a trip to Brisbane in Round 27, it is possible the Storm won’t play in Sydney again this season unless they make the October 5 premiership decider at Accor Stadium.

A top two finish would secure the Storm a home semi in the first week of the play-offs and if they were to win that they would receive a week off before hosting a preliminary final in Melbourne for a place in the grand final.

Hughes is expected back from a shoulder injury for the finals but until his return the Kiwis halfback is giving Pezet advice about his combinations with Katoa and centre Nick Meaney in attack.

“Jahrome has been good, he's been sitting in meetings the last few weeks and he's got a good eye for it,” Pezet said. “He knows what Means' and Eli’s strengths are, and how I can bring them into the game.

“When we’ve got blokes like Cameron Munster, Xavier Coates and Harry Grant in your team, I’ve just got to get the boys around the park and kick well and they'll find the points.”

Grant snatched a controversial 22-18 win against the Panthers last Thursday night after acting on a pre-game suggestion by former Magpies and Dragons coach Roy Masters to come up with a “sneaky play”.

Pezet and Munster were set up either side of the ruck for a field goal and Grant dummied to them before racing from dummy half to score in extra time.

“We had a chat before Golden Point about how that is the stuff you live for, that’s the stuff you play for. You want to play in big games and be able to take moments like that,” Pezet said.

“We just spoke about everyone having a smile on their face and enjoying those big moments because it's going to happen over the next sort of four-to-six weeks, big moments like that.

“Harry Grant lives for those moments as we saw. Me and Mun were there ready to go and that’s where all the eyes go … Harry is one of the smartest footy players in the game.

“If I can create as much space I can for Harry to get a quick play the ball or for Mun to run out the back of shape, or whoever it is, that's kind of my role.”

After back-to-back knee injuries limited him to just 40 minutes in the 15 months until his comeback in June, Pezet had only played 80 minutes once this season in the Queensland Cup before being promoted to the starting line-up against Penrith.

However, after re-signing until 2029, Pezet’s future is secure and he is now focused on the Storm’s premiership campaign.