Farnworth wants to be Lion king for Dolphins
Joel Gould |
Dolphins and England star Herbie Farnworth wants to put on a show for the plethora of British and Irish Lions fans that have descended on Brisbane.
The 25-year-old has no intention, however, of making the code swap to rugby union, despite playing the game as a youth and being courted by several rugby clubs to make the switch.
Up to 40,000 Lions fans are in Brisbane this week ahead of the first Test match against the Wallabies.
The Dolphins host North Queensland on Thursday night and Farnworth hopes thousands of those Lions fans avail themselves of the opportunity to watch one of England’s greatest rugby league products in action.
“I might even go to the Lions game this weekend, but any Pommies in Brisbane should come down to the Dolphins game and see a fellow Pommie like myself and hopefully help us get the two points,” Farnworth said.
“It’d be pretty cool if we got a couple of Lions boys down at the game. I don’t really know any of them really well but I follow them on socials. I just hope they go well and beat the Aussies.”
Great Britain rugby league legend Martin Offiah, who had rugby union stints with Bedford Blues and London Wasps, has a high opinion of Farnworth and told the Love Rugby League website that he would make the code transition with success if he tried.
“I think Dom Young and Herbie Farnworth have without a doubt a skillset that would allow them to thrive in rugby union and play for England – Dom on the wing and Herbie at fullback or centre,” Offiah said.
“You could compare Young and Farnworth to the likes of Lote Tuqiri and Wendell Sailor.”
Farnworth is contracted until the end of 2026 at the Dolphins and wants to extend, despite being a target of the Perth Bears for 2027.
He was asked what he thought about a possible code swap with the Rugby World Cup on the horizon in 2027.
“Nothing really,” he said.
“I’m still very happy at the Dolphins. I’ve still got this year and next year left, so I’ve got a long, long time here, and I think we’re going in a really positive way.”
Brian Foley is Farnworth’s uncle and a former Wigan Warriors recruiter who has been part of his journey from his youth.
Foley told AAP that elite rugby union clubs had been and remained interested in signing Farnworth, who is off contract with the Dolphins at the end of next year.
“That interest is ongoing from rugby union,” Foley said.
“Herbie played schoolboy rugby union for Ermysted’s Grammar School at Skipton as a No.10 and centre but mainly as a fullback
“Originally, there were two clubs in France keen when he signed his first contract with Brisbane and there has been interest from rugby clubs in England that we went and visited, but since he has been in Australia they accept he is in the NRL and that’s what he is doing.”
Foley said Farnworth was “happy where he is” and would take his next contract negotiation with the Dolphins “in his stride at the right time”.
AAP
