Parramatta centre Michael Jennings will hold crunch talks with coach Brad Arthur tomorrow and the outcome could determine whether the Eels enter the fray for Newcastle outcast Jesse Ramien.
Jennings is off contract at the end of the year but he wants to stay at Parramatta and play an ongoing role in their resurgence — the club is in sixth place heading into Saturday afternoon’s meeting with the Knights, having finished last year with the wooden spoon.
Parramatta have tabled a one-year offer and while that might be acceptable to Jennings, he acknowledges he has more than himself to consider after become a father for the first time this year.
“I’m happy to stay here but I really have to think about my future as well,” Jennings said.
“I just had a little kid and I need to weigh up my family’s future. One year doesn’t hurt (me) but for my family it will hurt.
“At the moment I’m going to try to finalise it this Friday. I’m meeting with Brad on Friday and hopefully we can sort it then.
“I’d like to stay for two years, so it’s just how many years. I’d like to sort it Friday. I would have liked it to be sorted three months ago.
“The good thing is I’m not putting too much time and energy into it. It is my future but I trust Isaac [manager Isaac Moses] will get it done.”
Meeting with Arthur on the verge of a game against Newcastle adds to the intrigue. Jennings was once in the sights of the Knights when they were in the midst of a major rebuild — they pursued him at the end of 2017 — but ultimately he elected to stay at the Eels.
Newcastle instead turned their attention to Ramien and that decision backfired last week when the Knights made the decision to cut him loose.
Parramatta were among the clubs linked with the young centre when news seeped out of his exit from Newcastle, although their interest is likely to be largely contingent on Jennings. Should he stay for a further 12 months, the Eels have young players emerging through their system and are happy to play the waiting game.
If he goes, Ramien could come on the radar given Parramatta have money to spend and are believed to have let their interest lapse in Melbourne front-rower Christian Welch.
Jennings was as shocked as anyone to see Ramien depart the Knights, having experienced first-hand the young centre’s talents.
“It is hard moving teams,” Jennings said.
“I know, I have moved to two clubs and it is hard for players to make that transition. It is sad … He is really talented. He is really strong, really hard to handle.
“A few glimpses of him during the year you saw how strong he was, he was breaking tackles. Against the Warriors he was killing it. It is a bit of a loss.”
The Eels have plenty at stake against Newcastle. A win would keep alive their hopes of finishing in the top four, a loss would consign them back into the dogfight at the bottom of the top eight.
The Knights arrive at Bankwest Stadium having lost five in a row, their season now on the line as they desperately cling to hope of playing in the finals.
“We had the same situation playing them at Newcastle when they were five losses in a row,” Jennings said.
“They played us and beat us. We played them into form. It is the same situation. This week is not about them — it is about us. Our focus is not where they are at.”
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sp...s/news-story/346ddeca2677405b77dadc7389bffc32
