Marc Bazeley
Herbie Farnworth played in the youth set-ups at both Burnley and Manchester United as a young footballer, but rugby league has proven to be his true calling; The Brisbane Broncos three-quarter is emerging as one of the stars of the England team during this year’s Rugby League World Cup
Last Updated: 24/10/22 7:29pm
Herbie Farnworth has reaped the rewards since pursuing rugby league over football
You know the narrative about Herbie Farnworth, right? The talented young footballer, once of the famous Manchester United, who gave it all up to forge a career in the somewhat less glamorous world of rugby league?
Well, not quite. Yes, the Blacko-born former midfielder-cum-winger was good enough to be in the youth set-up at hometown club Burnley before moving to United and then attracting interest from their cross-city rivals Manchester City at the age of 11.
But by that point, Farnworth, who has since morphed into a blockbusting 6ft 3in, 16st 10lb three-quarter, had already discovered rugby league and developed a taste for the oval-ball code – something which has taken him to playing at the highest level in Australia and representing his country on the sport’s biggest stage.
“I was never really serious about football,” Farnworth told Sky Sports deep in the bowels of the University of Bolton Stadium while conducting his post-match media duties in the wake of England’s 42-18 win over France at the Rugby League World Cup on Saturday.
“I played it when I was a young lad, but to be honest I was always league and as soon as I played it, I fell in love with the sport.
“It’s bit blown up, all that football stuff; I’ve always been a league boy, I love the sport and love playing for this country.”
So, let us not dwell on that and focus on his rugby league instead, and the rapid rise he has enjoyed in the past three years in particular.
Herbie Farnworth’s RLWC2021 stats so far
| Games played | 2 |
| Tries | 1 |
| Try assists | 1 |
| Run metres | 358 |
| Post-contact metres | 124 |
| Linebreaks | 2 |
| Linebreak assists | 2 |
| Tackle busts | 8 |
Scouted by NRL club Brisbane Broncos while making his way through the junior ranks in this country with community clubs Wigan St Patricks and Newton Storm, Farnworth jumped at the opportunity offered to him by the six-time Australian premiers five years ago.
Following the route up the ladder through the Broncos’ U20 Holden Cup squad and feeder club Norths Devils in the second-tier Queensland Cup, Farnworth was handed his NRL debut in 2019 and the following season was named as the club’s rookie of the year.
His rise has continued to the point he was among a six-strong NRL contingent called into Shaun Wane’s squad for England’s home World Cup and was handed starts in the Group A wins over Samoa and France, but that rapid advancement is not something the 22-year-old has paused to consider.
“I’ve not really thought about it, I just keep chugging away and trying to push for the next goal,” Farnworth said.
A big goal of mine was to play in this World Cup and I’m just grateful I’ve got a place in the squad and can hopefully do my job for the boys and offer something for this team. I want to push on and win this thing, hopefully.
Herbie Farnworth
“A big goal of mine was to play in this World Cup and I’m just grateful I’ve got a place in the squad and can hopefully do my job for the boys and offer something for this team. I want to push on and win this thing, hopefully.
“It’s a great honour for me to be part of this squad. I’m a big, passionate England boy, born and bred here – people think I’m an Aussie but I’m definitely not!
“I moved over when I was 17, I spent all of my childhood in England, I trained here, and all of my family is over here. Getting a chance to play and be a part of this great squad is a massive honour and a massive privilege.”
Being based in Australia and the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic have meant Farnworth has not been able to join to the regular training camps Wane put on for England’s performance squad since taking charge of the national team.
Herbie Farnworth has enjoyed a rapid rise in the NRL with Brisbane Broncos
However, he and the others plying their trade in the NRL were kept up to date with videos of training sessions and emails detailing what Wane wanted them to be working on, along with speaking to the England boss when he flew out to Australia earlier this year.
“He’s really good, is Waney,” Farnworth said. “He came over and I met up with him for a coffee in Brisbane.
“He was talking about what he wants for the boys to be part of the England squad, what sort of mannerisms he wants and this type of thing, and what it means to him to be English. He’s a very passionate man and I told him that I think I can do that for him.
“Obviously, it’s a dream of mine to play for this squad and he’s put his trust in me to play in this World Cup. I’ll just put my best foot forward, work really hard for the boys and train really hard for the next couple of weeks, and give it the best shot we can.”
Herbie Farnworth has featured in both of England’s World Cup games so far
Having featured in both the wins over France and Samoa, Farnworth may find himself given a breather for this Saturday’s concluding group-stage match against World Cup debutants Greece as Wane aims to keep his squad as fresh as possible for the knock-on stages.
Victory at Bramall Lane would see England go through to the quarter-finals as group winners and after missing the last five months of the 2022 NRL season due to a bicep injury, Farnworth is eager to retain his centre berth for this weekend’s game.
“I’m not sure what the goal is, but I definitely want to play,” Farnworth said. “I’ve not played for about five months prior to this World Cup, so any minutes I can get on the field I’ll take.
“Playing for your country, no matter what game it is, I’ll put my hand up for it.”
