Michael Jennings

At 36 years old, Michael Jennings has this physical status:

Michael Jennings (born 20 April 1988) is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a centre for the Parramatta Eels in the NRL.

He has played for Tonga and Australia at international level. He previously played for the Penrith Panthers and the Sydney Roosters, with whom he won the 2013 NRL Grand Final.

He has played for the Prime Minister's XIII, City Origin, New South Wales in the State of Origin series and the NRL All Stars.

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Playing career

Jennings scored on his debut for the Penrith Panthers against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs on the wing, scoring a try in the Panthers' 40-10 victory at Penrith Stadium. In Round 23 against the Newcastle Knights, he scored a hat trick as the Panthers defeated Newcastle 46-12 at Hunter Stadium. Jennings was the Panthers' top tryscorer with 15 tries in 23 games at the end of the year. In addition to being named for the Dally M Rookie of the Year award and the Rookie of the Year award, he received the Panthers Player of the Year award and the Rookie of the Year award as well as being nominated for the Dally M Rookie of the Year award. Jennings played for the Junior Kangaroos in October.

In 2008, Jennings appeared in 23 games and scored 12 points for the Panthers.

He competed for the Prime Minister's XIII squad against Papua New Guinea and scored a try on debut.

Jennings was chosen in the preliminary Australian and Tongan squads for the 2008 World Cup. He later represented Tonga, scoring 3 goals in a row.

Jennings played for the New South Wales City team against New South Wales Country on May 8th, scoring a try in the Orange victory 40-18. In May, he was selected for New South Wales in Game 1 of the 2009 State of Origin series in Melbourne, Victoria. Jennings missed Game 2 but was then selected in Game 3 of the Blues 28-16 victory at Suncorp Stadium but was back again in Game 3. Jennings appeared in 19 games and was the Panthers' top tryscorer with 17 attempts, three of which were hat tricks. Jennings was called back in the Prime Minister's XIII squad in September, scoring another hat trick in the 42-18 victory over Papua New Guinea.

Jennings and the Australian team travelled to Europe in October and November for the 2009 Four Nations. In the 42-4 victory, he made his Kangaroos debut and scored 3 tries as well as receiving the Man of the Match award. Jennings became the fourth Kangaroo, following Lionel Morgan's 1960, Brad Mackay in 1990 and David Williams in 2008, who scored a hat trick on debut.

Jennings played for the inaugural NRL All Stars team against the Indigenous All Stars at Cbus Super Stadium on February 13. In the NRL All Stars 16-12 victory, he was center and scored a try. Jennings played for NSW City Origins on May 7th. In Game 3 of the 2010 State of Origins series, he appeared for NSW for the first time in the Blues 23-18 loss. In the regular season, Jennings appeared in 25 games and 16 tries.

Jennings made his debut for the NRL All Stars in another game, as well as playing for City Origin in May. Jennings was suspended from the Panthers team on August 12 for being up to training under the influence of alcohol. He was also suspended $10,000 earlier in 2011 for inebriation, and it was reported that he was on his last chance at the club. Jennings' season was marred by numerous illnesses, off-field scandals, and he only gained 4 attempts this year, one at State of Origins level, 1 at club level, and two whilst playing for the Windsor Wolves in the NSW Cup. Despite his poor start, he was still selected for NSW, scored a try, and was rated as one of the best in a 16-12 beaten team in game 1. In Round 13 against the Gold Coast Titans, Jennings played his 100th NRL match for the Panthers, winning by 23-10 at Cbus Super Stadium. Jennings played for the Prime Minister's XIII on September 19th. He appeared in 15 games for the Panthers this year.

For the third year in a row, Jennings was selected for the NRL All Stars. In the 2012 State of Origins series, he appeared in all three matches for NSW. After being cut from the Panthers first-grade squad, Jennings was the first player to be selected for New South Wales from reserve-grade for Game 1. Jennings and his club life were rumours throughout the season, with rumors that Jennings was out of favour with Panthers Coaching Director Phil Gould, and that the club was attempting to release Jennings to free up salary cap space. In what was to be his last season with the Panthers, Jennings played in 17 matches and scored 10 goals. Jennings starred in the 24-18 victory over Papua New Guinea on September 23nd.

Jennings signed a four-year deal with the Sydney Roosters on January 15, after being officially released by the Panthers.

Jennings played for NSW City Origins in their 18-12 loss on April 21. Jennings appeared in all three State of Origin games in 2013, winning by a single point in Game 1 in Game 1 when Jennings defeated 14-6. Jennings played in the 2013 NRL Grand Final at center, with the Roosters triumphing over the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 26-18. Jennings won with a spectacular try from a James Maloney grubber, defeating two Manly players with his speed to ground the ball. Jennings was the Roosters highest tryscorer with 20 tries in 26 games in an outstanding year. He was selected in the Kangaroos 24-man squad for the 2013 World Cup, scoring a try in his first game against Fiji after winning the premiership.

For the 2014 World Club Challenge match, the Roosters hosted the Wigan Warriors. As the Australian premiers defeated 36-14 at SFS, Jennings became the first player in World Club Challenge history to score three tries. In the Roosters' 28-8 loss to the South Sydney Rabbitohs at ANZ Stadium in the 2014 NRL season, Jennings scored his first try in the 2014 NRL season. Jennings played his 150th NRL game against the Parramatta Eels in Round 2 of the Roosters' 56-4 victory at SFS. In Game 1 of the 2014 State of Origins series, Jennings was selected for NSW in the 100th State of Origins series in the 12-8 victory at Suncorp Stadium. In game 2 of the series, he was a member of the team that won 6-4, resulting in the Blues' breaking their 8-year losing streak. Jennings scored his 100th NRL appearance in Round 23, beating the Wests Tigers in Leichhardt Oval. He had 13 attempts from his 21 Roosters games. In the 22-18 loss to New Zealand, he played for Australia in the Four Nations at the end of the season, scoring a try.

In the Kangaroos' 26-12 loss, Jennings played at center during the 2015 Anzac Test. In game two, he appeared in all three matches of the 2015 State of Origin collection, scoring 2 tries in the Blues' 2-1 series loss, and was named Man of the Match. In his 21 games for the Roosters, he scored 8 tries.

After his younger brother Robert Jennings was arrested and charged with criminal conduct after reportedly kicked a boom gate in the Erby Place parking garage, Jennings was arrested and charged with offensive conduct on June 20. In Parramatta, they were celebrating Jennings' successful second Origin match. Jennings was banned from the Roosters for a single match. Jennings pleaded not guilty to charges of offensive conduct and hindering police on July 20th, claiming that he and his brother were victims of racial profiling by police. After being found guilty of behaving in an offensive manner in a public place, he was given a 12-month good behaviour bond on December 14th.

After being released from the final year of his Roosters contract, Jennings signed a four-year deal with the Parramatta Eels that begins immediately on January 18th. Jennings made his Parramatta Eels debut in Round 1 of the 2016 NRL season, playing at centre in the Eels' 17-4 loss at Parramatta Stadium. Jennings scored his first club appearance for the Eels in Round 3 against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. Jennings played his 200th NRL match against the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in Round 7 in the Eels 22-10 victory at Brookvale Oval. In the 2016 State of Origins collection, Jennings appeared in all three matches for New South Wales. Jennings had mixed results in the series, leading to the Blues' victory over 20-16 and later a Corey Oates. In Game 3, Jennings scored the winning goal for the Blues in the 79th minute to win the match 18-14, but only after stopping a Queensland clean sweep of 3 victories. Jennings spent his first year with the Parramatta Eels, with him playing in 19 matches and scoring 9 tries in the 2016 NRL season.

Jennings was outstanding in Round 2 against the St George Illawarra Dragons, one of the game's four tries, when he set up two tries for Semi Radradra, a strange sight in his legs, Fox Sports commentator and recently retired Michael Ennis, "Jennings has been brilliant." He's had all sorts of classes, and if you have someone from Radradra's class outside you, it's evidently brilliance, I think this is the best half of football I've seen Jennings play in the last 18 months.

Jennings was a member of The Parramatta team that finished fourth at the end of the regular season and qualified for the first time since 2009. In Parramatta's humiliating loss by North Queensland, Jennings scored a last-minute attempt. North Queensland fell 24-16. Jennings registered to play for Tonga in the 2017 rugby league world cup at the end of the season. Jennings was part of the team that made it all the way to the semi finals before losing to England.

In Parramatta's 44-10 victory over Manly in Round 7, Jennings scored his first try of the season. In Parramatta's 18-10 loss to Brisbane, Jennings lost the ball twice over the try line twice, leaving the team with only two wins from the first 12 rounds of the season. Jennings was sent to the sin bin for the second week in a row after taking an illegal hit on a Newcastle player trying to score a try in Parramatta's 30-4 loss, leaving the club last on the standings. Jennings' 250th first grade game against Souths was played on June 14th, when his brother Robert Jennings, who was playing for the opposition, scored 4 points in Souths' 42-24 victory. Jennings was suspended to reserve grade by Brad Arthur in Round 25 of the NRL season, for the third time this year, after Parramatta's humiliating 44-10 loss to the Sydney Roosters, where the club lost last and earned their 14th wooden spoon. After being sin binned, openly crying and having to be consoled by Parramatta officials, Jennings was caught on camera in the change room.

He retained his spot in the Tongan squad for the first-ever Test match between Tonga and the Australian Kangaroos on October 20, 2018, in front of a sold-out audience at Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland.

Despite Jennings' absence from form during the 2018 season, he started the 2019 season as one of Parramatta's first choice centres. Jennings scored two tries for Parramatta in Round 1 as they defeated Penrith 20-12, but Jennings was suspended for a high tackle on Isaah Yeo. In Round 4, Jennings scored two tries, as Parramatta defeated Cronulla 24-12. Jennings scored two tries in Parramatta's 51-6 victory over Wests Tigers in the first round of the new Western Sydney Stadium, his third brace of the season.

Parramatta defeated Brisbane 38-10 at Western Sydney Stadium in Round 14, with Jennings scoring a try.

Parramatta finished fifth on the table and qualified for the finals at the end of the 2019 regular season. Jennings scored a try as Parramatta defeated Brisbane 56-0 at the new Western Sydney Stadium in the elimination final. The triumph was the most significant finals win in history, defeating Newtown's 55-7 victory over St George in 1944. The match was also Parramatta's biggest victory over Brisbane and Brisbane's worst ever loss since being in 1988.

Jennings signed a two-year deal extension on December 6th, extending his Parramatta contract until the end of 2021.

Jennings had two tries as Parramatta lost the match 22-18 against Manly-Warringah at Brookvale Oval in round ten of the 2020 NRL season. Jennings' points put him into the top ten highest try scorers list in the competition's history. Jennings' deal with Parramatta ended on July 24th, 2022.

After testing positive to LGD-4033 (Ligandrol) and its derivatives Di-hydroxy-LGD-4033, as well as Ibutamoren and its metabolites Desbenzyl Ibutamoren and OH Ibutamoren, Jennings was provisionally suspended from playing on October 9. The World Anti-Doping Agency and the NRL's anti-doping policy have banned each of these substances.

Jennings was suspended on the same day Parramatta were scheduled to face the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the 2020 elimination final.

By mutual agreement on May 4, Jennings' agreement with Parramatta was terminated by mutual consent.

Jennings was banned from playing rugby league for three years for doping in connection with the failed drug test, which took place 12 months before.

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