MICHAEL Jennings was a groomsman at Josh Mansour’s wedding but now he’s hopeful the pair will once again become teammates.

Mansour, an Australia international, is the highest profile winger off-contract this season and Parramatta are interested.

The Eels still have money in the bank following the departure of Semi Radradra and are yet to make a call on whether they’ll sign a replacement.

To start the season, Josh Hoffman and Kirisome Auva’a are the wing pairing but that doesn’t mean Brad Arthur won’t decide to hit the market for the 2019 season.

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Arthur will have a first-hand look at Mansour this weekend when the Eels face the Panthers on Sunday afternoon in Penrith.

While Jennings won’t be exchanging pleasantries with Mansour come game time, he does hope the Eels are a genuine option to land his signature.

Josh Mansour gets taken down by Tepai Moeroa.

“He’s a close mate of mine. I was on his line for his wedding. If that’s ever a possibility to get Josh here, he’s still got a year there but there’s a bit of chatter he’s going to come here,” Jennings told foxsports.com.au.

“He hasn’t really told me that’s the case. He’s keeping it all to himself. If he’s going to make a decision and we have the opportunity to take Mansour, it would be great.

“It would add more experience and more class to our team.

“It’s a good rumour going around.”

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Mansour, 27, joined the Panthers in 2012 after failing to break into the top grade for South Sydney.

He debuted in Round 9 on the same edge as Jennings and the pair grew closer as the year went on.

While Jennings left the foot of the mountains at the end of Mansour’s rookie year to join the Roosters, the duo kept in touch.

Mansour’s star has continued to rise since Jennings’ exit despite an injury interrupted 2017.

After a stint with the Roosters, Jennings landed at the Eels. With both men living in western Sydney Jennings said their friendship has been able to blossom despite no longer being teammates.

“Penrith is where we became good mates. We’ve actually played together,” Jennings explained.

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“I played a year there and he was a winger for a couple of games at the back end of 2012. He was playing on my wing.

“That’s when we forged a relationship from there. I remember some Lebanese kid no one knew and wondered who’s this kid and got talking with him nice and early and we clicked from there and been really good mates ever since.”