Nudgee College First XV winger Jangala Bennet has signed a two year deal with the Cronulla Sharks
Nudgee College First XV winger Jangala Bennet has signed a two year deal with the Cronulla Sharks.
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Nudgee College First XV winger Jangala Bennet has signed a two year deal with the Cronulla Sharks in the National Rugby League.
A dashing winger, Bennet scored a season high 15 tries for Nudgee during the team’s run toward the GPS rugby union premiership this season.
Of indigenous background, Bennet hails from the same district, Sunnybank Hills, as retired great Johnathan Thurston.
Like Thurston was during his junior playing days, Bennet is a light in weight but big on skills. And also similar to Thurston, he was ignored by local NRL clubs because of his slender frame.
But Bennet has skills to burn and although he played wing in rugby, he is a natural play maker who could fit snugly into half or five-eight.
Having said that he would also be comfortable as a play-making fullback.
Nudgee College head of rugby Sean Graham said Bennet had “incredible attacking skills and ability to find the try line, particularly in crucial moments in games’’.
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“Jangala can step off both feet and has a strong fend to keep defenders at bay, while also possessing a sharp passing game and an accurate left foot kick,’’ Graham said.
Jangala said his signing with Cronulla was “very exciting and I am am very keen to head down to Cronulla and start pre-season’’.
“It will be tough but I am keen to meet new people and prove my skills to the staff and boys down there.’’
Cronulla had competition for his signature from several clubs, including the North Queensland Cowboys who are looking to remodel their three quarter line and add speed.
But Bennet opted for the Sharks because of the interest they showed in him as a person and because there was never any mention of his slight frame.
The beach-based Sharks were also a natural fit because Bennet is a descendant of Saltwater indigenous people on both sides of his family and loves the water.
Bennet, a Sunnybank Hills Junior Rugby League Club product, is such a talented sportsman he also excelled in touch football, basketball, rugby league and rugby union.
Bennet he has applied for a number of universities in the Sydney area with the hope to of pursuing business studies.
Bennet is a former teammate of recent Australian schoolboy rugby league selection Tesi Niu who has been signed by the Brisbane Broncos.
Niu, who attended Cameron Smith’s old school of Marsden State High School, played juniors with Bennet in the Metropolitan West rugby league team.
He is a past student of the Aboriginal and Islander Community School at Acacia Ridge.
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