Tom Jenkins. Photo: Panthers Media
A FEW years ago, I did a guest speaking tour of the country areas of our state. My first stop was at a place I had never heard of called Boorowa. “You know Tom Jenkins is from here,” one of the crowd members said. “And that’s his brother over there,” he pointed out.
It was early October 2023 and as Tom’s brother exclaimed, “I think Tom is going to Newcastle to play,” indeed, he was.
After being scouted playing in the Laurie Daley Cup for Riverina in 2019, Jenkins was signed by Penrith in 2020 to play in their Jersey Flegg team. I knew of Tom as my son Mav was playing in the same team, and even back then could tell he had ‘something’. But even those closest to him could not have imagined the season he’d be having years later as the left winger in the Panther’s first grade team.
Before we get to that and his possible date with destiny, let’s quickly look back on a career that has exploded this season.
After playing six games in first grade for Penrith in the 22 and 23 seasons for a moderate five tries, “Milky” got itchy feet and decided to fly the coup and ply his trade with the Newcastle Knights where he played again, a moderate five games for zero tries.
After only playing one year of a two-year deal, Tom decided to head ‘home’, back to the Riff. But there was no room for him in Penrith’s top 30, so he signed with the St Marys Ron Massey Cup team. By all accounts he was flying at pre-season training and was quickly back in the game at Penrith.
Playing 21 games last season for 13 tries, he unfortunately missed out on playing finals footy. The fuse was obviously lit.
Run faster, jump higher, be more consistent in 2026! And here we are… So far this season “The Milky Bar Kid”, a name given to him from the pale complexion of his skin, and for those old enough to remember the Milky Bar Kid was a TV commercial that started in the sixties promoting Nestle’s White Chocolate bars. And it’s caught on.
There was a great banner at Comm Bank Stadium last Friday night “Showing love and support for Penrith’s own Milky Bar Kid.” But let’s talk about his potential date with destiny. I never thought I’d see Ken Irvine’s try record of 212 tries bettered. Alex Johnstone has flown past it now with 229 career tries. Easts’ Dave Brown scored 38 tries in a season of just fifteen games. A record deemed way too hard to break or even get near. Newtown’s Roy Preston scored 34 tries in 1954, and Alex Johnstone has scored 30 tries in two consecutive seasons, 2021 and 2022.
Currently “Milky” sits on 25 tries from 16 games played this season, with the thought and threat of both Dave Brown’s as well as Ray Preston’s 91 year and 76 year records could be gobbled up by Jenkins! Astonishing really.
At the minute Milky is scoring tries for fun, and with 8 games still to be played (Panthers have a bye this round) plus finals footy, which Jenkins is yet to play, that gives him 8 rounds with let’s say at least 3 games post-season you’d think he’s going to devour Ray Preston’s 34 tries while then eyeing the holy grail of 38 set by the great headgear-wearing centre from Easts called Dave Brown, who is often referred to as the “Bradman of Rugby League”!
Tom Jenkins has a real shot at surpassing the greatest try scoring feat that our game has ever seen, or never thought we’d see broken. Not bad from a kid from a town I’d never heard of before going there. I definitely know where Boorowa is now. Talk about putting your place of birth on the map. And as the advert screamed across our screens for decades, Tom might just be echoing the commercials famous catch cry of “The Milky Bars are on me”!
MG (random Westie) OAM
