Thomas Jenkins has fast become one of the NRL's most dangerous wingers.

That is, very likely, a sentence no one thought they'd be reading at the start of the season, and it has to be noted he is playing on the end of a red-hot Penrith Panthers attack, but he has fit right into the best system in the competition.

You don't just do that by luck.

The outside back's attitude too has been fantastic. Dropped from the finals last year, he basically said it was the right call leading into this season, and has made no mistake in rubber stamping his spot to the point it won't be happening again come September this year, with Penrith well on track for another deep run into the finals.

As it stands, the outside back already has 18 tries to his name and could seriously mount a challenge on the record for tries in a year with 13 games still to play, including Sunday night's top of the table clash with the New Zealand Warriors.

But the Panthers are heading into a contract crunch, and there have been plenty of rumours that Jenkins could be one forced out, simply because he will be after a major salary upgrade, and the Panthers, who are being pulled in plenty of directions by salary cap pressure, won't be able to afford it.

Even with a salary increase, he is still going to be fairly affordable for many clubs around the NRL, so here are the clubs who will, or should, be lining up around the block for Jenkins.

3. Parramatta Eels

The Eels are another club with big questions over their back five.

There is no doubt both Josh Addo-Carr and Bailey Simonsson slot in somewhere, but with Sean Russell and Apa Twidle leaving for Perth, and Will Penisini yet to be locked down beyond the end of this year, there are red flags flying.

Jordan Samrani, Brian Kelly and Araz Nanva are the other players locked onto deals, but none of the trio have stamped their authority for a spot in the back five yet.

With Jenkins - and Simonsson for that matter - able to play at either centre or wing, there is a real argument that the Penrith flyer would be the ideal candidate to add depth to the back five, and plenty of try-scoring threat.

1 COMMENT

  1. If the Bears are considering Sifa Talaki as a centre, they must be desperate. These days he is too slow to be a centre and his value is as an impact forward off the bench.

    St George would be a decent fit, but the club must be stretched with Val Holmes reputedly on $1M a year. Shame that he’s playing at NSW Cup standard.

    Perhaps the club should consider offering Jenkins a back-ended (decent money) contract, and telling Holmes to find himself somewhere else to play in 2027, with the Dragons paying freight for half his salary. If he can be unloaded, then the club can pay Jenkins more money sooner rather than making him wait.