News that Jennings could play alongside Jarryd Hayne and Suliasi Vunivalu in a star-studded Bati backline led the Fiji One television sports bulletin and Naleba told The Fiji Times: "Michael has links to Lautoka and is among the top players wanting to play for Fiji. He is in the squad and this is his last attempt at a World Cup. He has been trying to be part of the Vodafone Fiji Bati in the past.”
However, Woolf said that the Parramatta centre would have played for Tonga in May’s Pacific Test if he had been fit and wanted to represent the Mate Ma’a again after previously doing so at the 2008 World Cup.
“He has made that really clear and he is really looking forward to representing Tonga. He has done that in the past and he hasn’t been able to do so for a couple of years.
“He was going to play in the May Test but unfortunately he had a bit of a niggle at the time so he is looking forward to the World Cup.”
Jennings qualifies for Tonga through his parents, champion high school athletes Antonio and Via, who moved to Australia before he was born, but he also has Fijian bloodlines.
The 29-year-old’s great grandfather was an Englishman named George Napier Jennings, who settled in the Pacific Islands and married a half-Tongan, half-Fijian wife, while his uncle Arthur Jennings was the first Fiji-born player to represent the All Blacks.
Under new international eligibility rules introduced this year, a player can switch between a Tier 1 country and a Tier 2 nation for whom he also qualifies but not between two countries in the same tier if he has represented one in the previous four years.
As Jennings has not played for Tonga since 2008, he remains eligible for Fiji but Woolf insists he will play for the Mate Ma’a.
What the tug-o-war over Jennings has highlighted is the depth of talent available to the Pacific nations at the World Cup, with Fiji able to call on Hayne, Vunivalu, Kevin Naiqama, Waqa Blake, Akuila Uate, John Sutton, Api Koroisau, Ashton, Korbin and Tariq Sims, Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Kane Evans and Jayson Bukuya
The Tonga squad is expected to feature Will Hopoate, Manu Vatuvei, Konrad Hurrell, Solomone Kata, Daniel Tupou, Tui Lolohea, Ata Hingano, Leilani Latu, Manu Ma’u, Peni Terepo, Felise Kaufusi and Addin Fonua-Blake.
Woolf said he was also intending to bring some players back from Super League, including Hull FC pair Sika Manu and Mahe Fonua, Huddersfield forward Akuima Ta’ai and Salford utility Ben Murdoch-Masila.
“All those guys have been really passionate about wanting to represent Tonga in the past and they have always put their hands up to play so that is something we like to reward,” Woolf said.
“The first thing is that they need to be playing good footy and be fit and healthy, but by all reports and from what I have seen they are going really well at the moment.”
Woolf will begin contacting players whose teams did not qualify for the NRL finals from next week about training for the World Cup and he is planning a pre-tournament camp in Tonga.
“At the moment we are trying to get into a position financially where we can put on a professional camp for the players to give them the best opportunity to perform at their best,” he said.
“We also want to put ourselves in a position where we can reward the players for their efforts as well. We have been fairly active in trying to source some sponsorship and the government has been really supportive as well so that has been really good.”
By Brad Walter | @BradWalterSport
Chief Correspondent, RLWC2017
