Michael Jennings will not receive official NRL recognition

Disgraced Roosters star Michael Jennings will no longer be honoured by the NRL for his 300th game.

Michael Jennings made his return to the NRL last Friday at the age of 35 Picture: NRL Photos

NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo will no longer present disgraced Roosters’ footballer Michael Jennings’ with the match ball for his 300th game on Thursday night following public pressure to withdraw the honour.

A civil court in 2021 found Jennings sexually assaulted his ex-wife Kirra Wilden four times.

It’s understood after high level talks between Abdo and Australian Rugby League Commission chief Peter V’landys took place and an agreement was made not to present the ball – as is the traditional honour for the milestone – at the game against the Newcastle Knights.

“Due to past conduct, Michael Jennings will not receive official NRL recognition on his 300th match,” Abdo said.

The Daily Telegraph’s sports editor at large Phil Rothfield led the call to not allow Jennings’ the honour, with an open letter to Abdo in Monday’s paper and stated the Roosters player should not have even been allowed a contract.

“Jennings does not deserve to be playing NRL, let alone have the chief executive of our game travel to Newcastle to honour him with the match-ball presentation,” Rothfield wrote.

“It would be a shocking and embarrassing look for a game that has made so much headway in recent years around women in rugby league.”

Jennings played in the Roosters’ 30-26 loss to the Bulldogs on Friday night after being brought on as a concussion substitute.

It was the 35-year-old’s first NRL game after three seasons out of the game serving a ban after testing positive for prohibited substances Ibutamoren and Ligandrol and since he lost his court case involving his former wife.

While Jennings was ordered to pay Wilden nearly $500,000 in damages following a civil dispute in the NSW District Court in December 2021 – he has still yet to pay the compensation.

In June 2022, a judge found that Jennings sold three investment properties and paid the proceeds, which exceeded $1.6 million, to a third party.

Wilden recently detailed the pain and trauma she has suffered, and also accused the NRL of not taking the issue of violence against women seriously by allowing him to play.

“I think it’s disgraceful that they have allowed this to happen,” Wilden told The Sydney Morning Herald. “It’s upsetting as I feel the NRL doesn’t take the safety of women seriously.

“People wonder why people don’t speak up about these types of incidents, it’s because I feel nothing gets done about it in time.”

Jennings has not been criminally charged and has denied the allegations.