The NRL has decided not to honour Michael Jennings’ 300-game milestone with traditional celebrations due to the Sydney Roosters centre’s past off-field incidents.
Jennings, 36, is set to become the 51st player to reach the coveted milestone when the injury-plagued Roosters bring him into the starting side for Thursday’s clash with Newcastle.
Ordinarily, NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo would present a player reaching their 300th game with the game ball before kick-off.
A media release is also circulated in which league officials pay tribute to the player, and at the ground the 30-metre line is replaced with “300” as a nod to the achievement.
But the NRL confirmed to AAP on Monday that celebrations had been scrapped.
“Due to past conduct, Michael Jennings will not receive official NRL recognition on his 300th match,” Abdo said in a statement to AAP.
Jennings received a three-year ban from the NRL after returning a positive drug test during Parramatta’s 2020 finals tilt.
Jennings pleaded guilty in 2021 to cut his suspension down from four years, but maintained he did not intentionally take the banned performance-enhancing substances Ligandrol and Ibutamoren.
In the years since, Jennings has found himself entangled in a legal battle with his ex-wife, who accused the NRL player of raping her multiple times during their marriage.
As of November 2023, Jennings had yet to pay his victim the nearly $500,000 ordered at the conclusion of the civil dispute in the NSW District Court.
Lawyers for Jennings’ ex-wife Kirra Wilden declined to comment when AAP reached out seeking confirmation as to any payment plan set up by the NRL player.
The NRL will not stand in the Roosters’ way if they wish to mark the milestone themselves.
The injury-hit Roosters are expected to name Jennings in their starting side when their team list is released on Tuesday afternoon.
James Tedesco (concussion), Billy Smith (leg) and Dom Young (suspension) will all be missing from the backline, with Jennings and Fetalaiga Pauga set to be brought in as cover.
Roosters teammates have argued Jennings’ drug ban should not preclude him from formal celebrations of his 300th game.
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Gamechanger
Roar Rookie
Robbo and the Roosters board have not read the room. Extraordinarily hiring him, when he hasn’t paid a cent of $500,000 to his ex wife and served a three year suspension for drugs. This is an ugly look for the NRL . All Abdo can say is we are not honouring his 300th game. This is the same NRL wanting to get women following the game. Not the way to do it. One suspects the NRL have reluctantly agreed to the Roosters request. If it was another club I’m not sure Jennings is making it to 300 games.
Law Talking Guy
Roar Rookie
30 years ago is recent, but not recent enough that you could possibly be so ignorant of its existence as a law in 2024. You couldn't possibly be that antediluvian.
Law Talking Guy
Roar Rookie
Finally, you've said something correct.
Law Talking Guy
Roar Rookie
it was a civil suit that is still under appeal, Nope. He lost the appeal. The quibble in the appeal was about the size of the damages, not the outcome.
Law Talking Guy
Roar Rookie
Dear oh dear. What the judge does in a civil trial is the same as what a judge/jury does criminal trial. It's not an opinion. It's an objective review of the evidence and testimony and making a decision. It's not an opinion. It's not a guess. And stop using the word felony. You are trying to sound smart, but you are only demonstrating that you are getting all your insight based off episodes of law and order. Australia doesn't use the terms felony or misdemeanour. And for future in case you want to use this phrase too, we don't plead the fifth. Deary deary me.
The Barry
Roar Guru
I think the NRL had done the right thing with Hayne. I don’t think the Dally M winners list should have an asterisk in 09 and 14 but there shouldn’t be any official celebration of those seasons I’m not in the Jennings deserves to have his 300th celebrated camp. I think it’s more if you need to sweep his 300th under the carpet in April, why did you register his contract in October? It’s incredibly short sighted This situation is very different to Hayne’s. The equivalent would be if the NRL let Hayne continue to play on after his SA case. There’s no way that would happen The celebration (or otherwise) of milestones is just a symptom…
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
As I understand it, they have the authority to refuse to register him in any competition they sanction. They could argue easily that they aren’t denying the opportunity to earn a living. What has he been doing the last three years for money ?
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
Yes, but it’s still an opinion, and yes he is picking sides, which he’s supposed to do. I’m not saying he’s necessarily wrong, I didn’t hear any of the accounts, he may very well have it spot on, but that’s not the point for the NRL. The point is he has not been charged with a felony, the NRL has allowed Jenko to resume playing, but are embarrassed to acknowledge having done so. They happy to profit of his efforts, but would prefer if no one would talk about it.
Tufanooo
Roar Rookie
The first time?
Tufanooo
Roar Rookie
The situations they find themselves in are different, sure. But the similarities of the privileges earned for reaching a milestone are where the discussion lies. Both have disgraced themselves, and both remain notionally entitled to something. Jennings is supposedly entitled to recognition as a 300 gamer, Hayne is entitled to invites to galas as a Dally M medalist. I argue simply that both can be factually recognised of making an achievement, but no need to celebrate it (or celebrate it further for Hayne. It would be ridiculous (and I think a couple in here insist it isn't) that Hayne be applied the same courtesy as any other Dally M medalist simply by divorcing on field and off field issues. And let's not pretend this is because of the drug ban. No one cares about that. This is stone cold the DV. No one is pretending he's not playing. No one is even denying he's playing he's 300th. It's just simply not being celebrated. There isn't a policy that says they must celebrate it. There isn't even a tradition of doing it. It's only been a thing in the past 10-15 years as more players have done it. Most of the time it was up to the club, not the code, to celebrate it. I think we get distracted by what traditions actually are in the NRL.
Andrew01
Roar Rookie
Brett: You say the NRL can deny him playing by not registering his contract. I'm not saying you are wrong, but has that ever been tested legally? In this case Jennings has an employment contract with the Roosters. Had the NRL not registered his contract, could he claim restraint of trade? I don't know, i am not a lawyer. They could probably do that in the case of a Jarryd Hayne and claim it didn't meet their standards, code of conduct or whatever, but if Jennings has no criminal charges and has served his drug ban, what would be the NRL reason for not registering the contract. Personally, i would have been happy for him not to return to the game, i just wonder whether the NRL could have.
Robbo
Roar Rookie
Agree with the 'period' thing
Pickett
Roar Rookie
This is the first time I've heard of a wife accusing her husband of r.ape while they were married. Marital r.ape has been established as crime since 1990's in most countries, so it is a very, very recent.
Phil Browne
Roar Rookie
Just let him play. What he did and alleged to have done is child's play as to what alot of the highly intelligent folk who play this sport have done. Stop pretending there is integrity in this sport
The Barry
Roar Guru
I think the Hayne vs Jennings situations are different. Your examples are about how ‘disgraced’ players are treated post career. This is about an active player If Hayne was still an active player today , do you really think the NRL would have registered his contract but just said “we’ll let you play, but you’re not allowed to celebrate any milestones”? I don’t think what I’m asking for is so much black and white, as it is a bit of forethought If I’m sitting at NRL HQ pondering registering Jennings’ contract and I think “well, his 300th is coming up soon but it’s not appropriate to be celebrating an accused rapist and drug ch.eat, better let the Roosters know” then that’s a fair indicator what my contract registration decision should be… before we even get close to how his legacy is treated post career… Registering his contract a few months ago and now pretending he’s not playing because it’s not a good look is ridiculously incongruous
Tufanooo
Roar Rookie
they have no legal reason to deny it according to their lawyers. No, not true. The NRL can refuse to register whatever contract they wish. No one has a right to be an NRL player. They chose this.
Tufanooo
Roar Rookie
You must write computer code for a living, Brett You don't really view the world beyond 1's and 0's.
Abbot
Roar Rookie
The NRL should have been smart enough to say publicly when registering Jennings that, despite their forgivings in doing so, they have no legal reason to deny it according to their lawyers. Put blame on the roosters and lawyers. Then outline what would happen if he reached 300 games and avoid the fire storm created by ignoring it until the week before the 300 game.
Tufanooo
Roar Rookie
Great post, mushi. He's not answered whether Jarryd Hayne can come to Dally M nights by right.
Tufanooo
Roar Rookie
Disagree with all that And as Law Talking Guy beneath has pointed out in some of your responses you know quite little about the law to be making such wild presumptive statements at the beginning. They are being consistent. Plenty of organisations and other sporting bodies behave exactly the same way. Why you expect a ridiculous standard from the NRL is your issue not mine