This has to be the best story from the Jennings signing yet.
Tim Mannah gives Michael Jennings a tough initiation at Parramatta Eels training an hour ago Pamela Whaley FOX SPORTS
Michael Jennings officially an Eel THOSE comments are going to haunt Michael Jennings for the next four years — Tim Mannah will make sure of it
Back in 2011 while playing for the Panthers, Jennings now famously and unfortunately said he didn’t hate the Eels players, just the team they represent. He also mentioned that as a Penrith junior, he was raised that way.
As the rugby league fates would have it, Jennings has come face to face with his words on his first day of Eels training with his former high school foe leading the way. “We brought it up today,” said Mannah, a Parramatta junior who was also raised on the classic western Sydney rivalry.
WHOOPS:The words Michael Jennings might regret “We actually played against each other all the way through the lower grades. “I’ll drop this as well, we beat him in the Harold Matthews grand final, so I have to remind him of that.” This is the humbling situation the 27-year-old NSW star walked into on his first day of training with the Eels on Monday.The former Roosters star was also hoodwinked into thinking he was popping in for a medical but instead was made to throw on the boots and join in on the training session.
Mannah found out with the rest of the team that Jennings would be joining the club on Monday morning and said seeing Jennings in the blue and gold was a shock. Michael Jennings and Tim Mannah played for NSW together. “We used to hate each other. Half of the boys went to school with each other and there was always bragging rights up for grabs,” he said. “You grew up with that kind of rivalry. To see him in the blue and gold was a shock to the system, but it was a welcome shock. “I think all Parra fans will enjoy seeing him in those colours.”
While he’s happy to rib his old foe in good fun, Mannah says he understands why Jennings would ignore the Parramatta-Penrith rivalry for the good of his career. Mannah, who made his first grade debut with the Eels back in 2009, said he can’t remember the club being in a better position and signing Jennings is the final piece of the puzzle. “I think people underestimate how much of a professional Jenko is,” Mannah said. “He’s really quiet and softly spoken off the field, but once he gets on the field he’s very animated and he leads in the way he acts.
“He’s the missing piece to the puzzle. “We had a really good team and were just one strike outside back short and to be able to go out and get one of the best centres in the competition in January is something we’re very fortunate to be able to do. “I’ve been friends with him for a long time and I’m really excited to have him on board.”
Mannah’s first year in the NRL was the last time the Eels made the NRL finals. Although Mannah is reluctant to make any pre-season promises, he said he hopes the Eels can do the talking with their results in 2016. “[2009] was my first year and I thought, ‘how good is this, we can play grand finals every year’, but we haven’t played a finals series since,” he said. “I’ve been at the club for a long time and I’ve never had this sense of excitement heading into a season. “There’s always anticipation and the excitement about the season but to see what we have now and know that we haven’t had it before, it’s good.” Originally published as Mannah roasts Jennings for Eels jibe
Replies
Slip did you read the article?
3rd sentence reveals the basis of what Mannah said.
Some history regarding it. In the annual Eels vses Panthers game that was played IIRC at Penrith, big time promotion for the game was carried out in the various media's Jennings came out with that statement about the eels, as a swipe at the club, bear in mind that both Mannah stayed loyal to the eels while Jennings left to go to the Roosters & now Jennings back in Parramatte signed sealed & delivered for 4 years now wearing the jersey of the club he had those words about.
From what I read of the event it was a real gee up in the welcome to Jennings, what goes round comes round, so good hearted banter indeed.
No Jibbering at all.