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https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/02/19/wests-tigers-get-green-light-to-sign-robert-jennings/

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# Wests Tigers sign Robert Jennings after Rabbitohs release

Author

Michael Chammas Chief Reporter

Timestamp

Thu 21 Feb 2019, 05:00 PM

![Michael Chammas](/uploads/default/original/1X/398b2fbb5b8e93108bd418dd5b8b9190e45052e1.png)

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The Wests Tigers have secured the services of Robert Jennings on a two-year deal after he was granted a release from South Sydney.

Jennings, who visited Wests Tigers headquarters in Concord on Thursday afternoon to meet the players and coaching staff, is expected to formally begin training with his new club next week.

The Tigers have been trying to sign for Jennings for a couple of months, however the NRL’s salary cap investigation into the club and a potential $639,000 deduction in this year’s cap brought negotiations to a halt.

Club officials recently applied to the NRL for approval to sign Jennings, with the governing body giving them the green light to do so despite the cloud still hanging over their heads.

Jennings has been training with the Rabbitohs all off-season and even trained with the club on Thursday morning before joining the Wests Tigers.

There was a possibility the deal might have fallen through at the 11th hour considering George Burgess was weighing up a mammoth offer to join Parramatta before the start of the season.

However [Burgess has decided to stay put](https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/02/21/heart-over-head-why-george-burgess-chose-south-sydney-over-parramatta-eels/), paving the way for Jennings to ink a deal with the Tigers where he is expected to battle out for a wing or centre spot.

Despite Jennings enjoying a break out 2018 campaign with 19 tries for Souths, football general manager Shane Richardson conceded the club couldn't afford to retain the 23-year-old.

“We tried everything we could to keep Robert at the Rabbitohs but unfortunately we aren’t in a position to be able to keep him as part of our squad due to salary cap constraints," Richardson said.
 
@jadtiger said:
The eels did fluke a top 8 in 2017 but i doubt he could survive another year like 2018
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I think im right in saying that the rules changes and referee crackdown that was implemented at the start of 2018 played a part. Seems all Arthur had was a way around the existing rules. Once they took away his advantage he was shown for the nuffie he is.
 
I'm more worried about the knights TBH. It's a team full of mercaneries & rag tags. I don't think moving Ponga to the halves is a good idea either - we'll see. The upside is Mbye will be going all out to win the #1 jersey for QLD. This is all hyperbole, but we'll see.
 
@Dan_Blanco said:
I’m more worried about the knights TBH. It’s a team full of mercaneries & rag tags. I don’t think moving Ponga to the halves is a good idea either - we’ll see. The upside is Mbye will be going all out to win the #1 jersey for QLD. This is all hyperbole, but we’ll see.
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Agree with Ponga. He'll have plenty of traffic sent his way in defence and I feel like the game plan from the Knights will be just to give Ponga the ball. He looked lost there for the Maoris. I think you take away his biggest strength putting him at 5/8\. He could pop up anywhere at fullback and played more as a runner, where as putting him in as a main ballplayer is going to put so much pressure on him to create chances. That and Nathan Brown is a dud coach.
 
I can never understand the penchant many coaches seem to have these days for moving a gun fullback into the 5/8 position. Just because it worked well with Lockyer doesn't mean it will work well for everyone. Some fullbacks are just meant to play fullback, full stop. That's where they are most dangerous and where they play their best footy - why on earth would a coach want to take that advantage away from his own team and have his gun fullback floundering around in the halves?
 
Yes he is still quite young and inexperienced though. I imagine Luke will fill the void for a year, possibly two and be a mentor to Mahoney in the process. Much like Farah/Liddle.
 
I completely agree it makes little sense to take your best support player and attacking runner and put him in organising role.It is possible it will work but far more likely to fail you dont try to fit a square peg into a round hole .
 
@Fraze23 said:
Agree with Ponga. He’ll have plenty of traffic sent his way in defence and I feel like the game plan from the Knights will be just to give Ponga the ball. He looked lost there for the Maoris. I think you take away his biggest strength putting him at 5/8\. He could pop up anywhere at fullback and played more as a runner, where as putting him in as a main ballplayer is going to put so much pressure on him to create chances.
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His All-Stars performance was like Benji at worst, but playing at 5/8 for the first time with strangers probably isn't the time to judge. I like the move to 5/8 in attack. I think he's better setting people up than running through holes, but who knows how he will handle the defence. I'd be more confident if they had a genuine fullback to replace him rather than Connor Watson.
 
Pearce will do all the organizing ….

Ponga just needs to get the ball and run .....he is very good at that

People right Newcastle off at their own peril , they won't win a premiership but they are around our level

Klemmer is the mistake in my opinion , big bucks for a 55 minute player who doesn't have that Taumalolo wrecking ball style ... big mistake
 
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