Panthers winger Tom Jenkins. Photo: Melinda Jane.

Panthers fans far and wide celebrated the re-signing of the NRL’s leading try scorer Tom Jenkins last Friday afternoon, but what they may not know is how close it came to almost not happening.

The 25-year-old signed a new three-year deal with the club last week that will see him in a Panthers jersey until the end of the 2029 NRL season.

However, speaking with the media on Tuesday, Jenkins revealed that he almost signed elsewhere after talks between the club and his manager broke down.

“I think a few times over the past few weeks things were getting a bit ‘hairy’ and I wasn’t sure what my future was going to look like but I had faith in my manager and I had faith in the club that we’d be able to get a new deal done,” Jenkins said.

“In saying that, there was probably a few days there, a few weeks there, where I wasn’t too sure where I’d end up. I’m glad to get it done.”

Thomas Jenkins celebrates a try. Photo: NRL Photos.

Currently leading the NRL with 20 tries to his name, the man they call “Milky” was in high demand from rival clubs needing a gun try scorer on their roster.

Jenkins said he had some tantalising offers on the table but wouldn’t reveal which clubs were chasing his signature.

“There were definitely a few clubs I was heavily considering especially when talks were sort of breaking down here. I won’t name them just out of respect for them but obviously I have a lot of appreciation, and they were really good in the whole process of it,” he said.

Jenkins said talks with the Panthers almost broke down over money, with the Young Cherrypickers junior wanting to be paid what he believed he deserved.

“You can tell there’s a salary cap squeeze here and as much as money’s not a massive deal breaker, there does come a time where you sort of have to understand value and what you deserve,” Jenkins said.

Tom Jenkins chats to the media on Tuesday. Photo: Melinda Jane.

“But there’s also a price to pay when you’re staying at a good club like Penrith. It was just about finding that happy medium that suited myself and suited the club.”

If Jenkins did leave the Panthers at the end of this season, it wouldn’t have been the first time. In 2024, he signed with the Newcastle Knights on a two-year contract before departing one year in due to several factors. In 2025, he returned to Penrith after pleading with coach Ivan Cleary to give him another chance.

Asked whether he had any hesitation about leaving again after his disappointing stint in Newcastle when he last departed, Jenkins emphatically said ‘no’.

“Definitely not! I think I’ve matured so much as a player and I knew that the clubs interested and the ones that I was considering were such good clubs and had good cultures,” he said.

“So, it wasn’t a hesitation to leave, but more a preference to stay. That’s what my mindset was around it.”

Try-scoring superstar Thomas Jenkins. Photo: NRL Photos.

Nathan Taylor is the Weekender’s Deputy Editor and Senior Sports Writer. He also compiles the weekly Chatter on the Box TV column. Nathan is an award-winning journalist, who has worked at the Weekender for a decade.