HE realises Dominic Young will be a hard act to follow, but new Knights recruit Tom Jenkins is hoping to deliver a try tally that stacks up in its own right next season.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Jenkins, a 22-year-old winger, has signed a two-season deal with Newcastle after being part of two premiership-winning campaigns with Penrith.
After a one-off NRL debut in 2022, he played in five more top-grade games last season, scoring five tries, including a double in Penrith's round-22 win against the Dolphins.
While Young's departure to the Sydney Roosters leaves a prominent vacancy, after the England international scored a club-record 25 tries for Newcastle last season, the Knights are confident Jenkins is among a number of players capable of replacing him, along with experienced Enari Tuala and young tyro Krystian Mapapalangi.
Knights director of football Peter Parr said recently "we see Tom as a long-term NRL player" with a skill set that "complements our style of play and will add valuable depth to our outside backs".
Jenkins said he will be working as hard as possible to validate that appraisal.
"Everyone wants to play NRL, but at the moment I'm just transitioning into this squad," he told the Newcastle Herald.
"In this group, there is so much talent and competition for spots. Sure, there is a spot there [on the right wing], but right now I'm just ripping into my training.
"That's the same for all the boys. We're all working hard.
"On Saturday it was up around 40 degrees and we were all ripping in, trying to get better. It was so good."
Jenkins said his first impression was that the environment at training was very similar to the Penrith culture that has delivered three consecutive premierships.
"The standards at Penrith were really high but it feels exactly the same here," he said. "The coaching staff want us to drive each other, and everyone wants to get to that next level.
"It's a different system but there are a lot of similarities in that we're all willing to work hard and get better every day."
Young's tryscoring strike rate - 43 tries in 51 NRL games for Newcastle - will take some topping, but Jenkins' track record suggests he is no slouch.
As well as his five tries in six NRL games, he has found his way to the line 40 times in 49 NSW Cup appearances.
"I love scoring tries," he said. "Who doesn't?
"But usually it comes down to the players around you, and at this club there are so many high-calibre players.
"It comes down to them as much as me, but I like to think that if I get half a chance, I'm going to give it a crack."
After spending his formative years at the foot of the Blue Mountains, the youngster from the little farming town of Boorowa said he was relishing the Newcastle lifestyle and can't wait for his first game at McDonald Jones Stadium.
