Tom Jenkins’ acceptance reshapes his role as Nrl Tonight focus
Tom Jenkins has made peace with one of the toughest decisions of his season and watched the fallout on nrl tonight with a clear head. He agreed with coach Ivan Cleary’s choice to omit him from Penrith’s 2025 finals run, then answered that selection call with a standout performance when he was rushed into the starting side.
Nrl Tonight moment: Tom Jenkins’ late inclusion and immediate impact
Jenkins was a late change into the starting backline for a match that finished 26-0 in Penrith’s favour over the Brisbane Broncos. He scored two tries and set up another in that game, pairing strongly with centre Casey McLean after Cleary reshuffled the backline and left Izack Tago out of the starting side.
That display followed the season in which Jenkins rose through Penrith’s system from an unexpected starting point. His response on the field after a last-minute call-in made his place in discussions on nrl tonight and among supporters harder to ignore.
Ivan Cleary and Paul Alamoti in Penrith’s finals selection
Jenkins said he backed Cleary’s decision to leave him out of the three 2025 finals matches: the elimination final against the New Zealand Warriors, the semi-final against the Canterbury Bulldogs, and the preliminary final loss to the Brisbane Broncos. Cleary instead chose to run Paul Alamoti, Brian To’o, Izack Tago and Casey McLean alongside fullback Dylan Edwards in those matches.
“Ivan was always open with communication, ” Jenkins said. “He makes the toughest calls in the game when it comes to our team, so I just back him 100%. ” He added that he and Cleary had a long conversation after the decision and “we both agreed that it was the right call. ” Jenkins acknowledged that Alamoti “was in such good form” and that he “100% deserved to be there. ”
Thomas Jenkins’ path from St Mary’s Ron Massey Cup to a Round 2 start in Bathurst
Jenkins began the year on a Ron Massey Cup contract at St Mary’s after leaving the Newcastle Knights. He worked his way through Penrith’s system and became a surprise inclusion in the NRL side during the first half of the season.
He was not originally named in the starting side for Round 1, but a late reshuffle put him into the outside backs at the expense of Izack Tago, who moved to the bench. Penrith again has plenty of outside-back depth to start the following season, with Paul Alamoti, Casey McLean and Brian To’o all named ahead of Tago in selections around Jenkins.
For Jenkins personally, that path means a confirmed next step: he has been named to start in Round 2, with Penrith set to play the Cronulla Sharks in Bathurst. The next on-field chapter for Jenkins will test the continuity he says he has with Cleary and the role he hopes to fill for the team.
Jenkins began this piece of his season agreeing with being left out of the finals. Now he returns to the exacting rhythm of selection and performance, named again for a starting role as Penrith heads to Bathurst to face Cronulla.
