By Yarin Barrett
BEERWAH junior Mitchell Jennings has capped off a remarkable season, helping the Melbourne Storm Under 21s claim their first-ever Jersey Flegg premiership with a 38–16 win over the Penrith Panthers at CommBank Stadium in Sydney.
It was a historic result for the club, marking the Storm’s first Jersey Flegg title and the first time any team from outside New South Wales has won the competition.
Melbourne, the minor premiers, went into the grand final as favourites and opened the scoring early. The Panthers hit back with two quick tries in five minutes to take the lead, but Jennings swung the momentum back his team’s way when he pounced on a loose ball near the line to score. From that moment, the Storm were never headed.
They carried a 20–10 lead into halftime and pressed home their advantage in the second half, running in three more tries to seal a comfortable 22-point victory.
“It was the first time our club has been in a Jersey Flegg grand final,” Jennings said. “I was more excited than nervous to be honest.”
Jennings began his rugby league journey at the Beerwah Bulldogs, where he played all his junior football.
“I started at Beerwah in under 8’s, and played A grade there at 18,” he said.
Beerwah Bulldogs president Kurt Quinn said the club was thrilled to see one of their own succeed at such a high level.
“We’re very proud,” he said. “He was always going to get picked up somewhere.”
After finishing the 2022 season at Beerwah, Jennings moved to Melbourne to join the Storm preseason squad for 2023.
He credited Sunshine Coast product and current Storm NRL player Trent Loiero with helping him settle into life in Melbourne.
“He was probably the first one from the sunny coast to come down to Melbourne and play consistent NRL, and when I first moved down he helped me out a little bit,” he said.
Jennings’ 2024 season wasn’t without setbacks. He dislocated his shoulder and required surgery, testing his resilience along the way.
“I had to have shoulder surgery,” he said. “The last three years have been a bit of a journey.”
The 21-year-old remains under contract with the Storm for next season, but says he’s taking time to consider his options.
“We’ll wait and see, Melbourne is a really good club, it’s the place you want to be,” he said.
The Jennings family remains deeply connected to Beerwah, with his older brother and younger sister still playing for the Bulldogs.
