Boorowa's Tom Jenkins has been recognised among the best players in the National Rugby League (NRL), named one of two wingers in the Dally M Team of the Year at the awards in Sydney on Wednesday 30 September. The Penrith Panthers winger was also presented with the Ken Irvine Medal for the competition's top try-scorer, which he shares with South Sydney's Alex Johnston. The pair finished level on 30 tries each. Jenkins needed a big finish to get there. Heading into Penrith's final regular season game against the Wests Tigers, he needed two tries to tie Johnston, and scored a double in the first half. He had also made a flying start, becoming the first player to score 10 tries in the opening four rounds since Jack Lindwall in 1947. Jenkins attended the awards with his mother, Peta Jenkins, who runs the Boorowa IGA. Peta said she was extremely proud of her son, and honoured he had asked her to go with him. The Team of the Year selection came as a surprise. Peta said they had gone along expecting only the Ken Irvine Medal, and had no idea he would also be named one of the wingers of the year. Jenkins played his junior rugby league with the Harden Hawks and Young Cherrypickers before being signed by Penrith. After a stint with the Newcastle Knights, he returned to the Panthers, and in June the club announced he had re-signed until the end of 2029. Teammate Nathan Cleary won the Dally M Medal as the competition's best player.
