I trained with United… but now my goal is rugby World Cup glory
Says England star Herbie Farnworth
NOT for the first time, Herbie Farnworth has Old Trafford in his sights. The England centre is eyeing a visit there on November 19 for the Rugby League World Cup final.
But there was once a time when Farnworth imagined playing with a different shaped ball at the Theatre of Dreams. ‘When I was young, I trained with Manchester United,’ the 22-year-old says.
‘I was there for a couple of years, but I didn’t really take it too seriously. Then when I was 12, I played my first game of rugby league. From then on, rugby league has always been my passion.’
Football’s loss is most definitely rugby league’s gain, as anyone who witnessed Farnworth’s barnstorming Test debut last weekend would attest. He scored one of England’s 10 tries in a 60-6 rout of Samoa at St James’ Park and proved just why coach Shaun Wane took a risk on the rookie from Australia’s NRL.
‘It was an unreal first game,’ says Farnworth, who registered 10 tries in 12 games for Brisbane Broncos this season before he tore his biceps in June. ‘Playing in front of my friends, who probably haven’t seen me play at pro level in person, and my family, who I’ve ’ve not seen for about two years, was a really special moment.
‘We all showed what it meant to us to play for England. Samoa had all the hype going into it, but we were quietly confident. We secretly loved being the underdogs.’
After England’s opening win, the bookies have now installed them as favourites to reach the final. For Farnworth, however, even that would not be good enough.
‘I don’t see why we can’t go on and win it,’ he says after training at Wigan’s Robin Park Arena ahead of Saturday’s group game with France at Bolton. ‘We’ve got great staff and great players. Our goal is to win it. We wouldn’t be here otherwise.’
No side from these shores has won the World Cup since Great Britain in 1972 — something Farnworth was reminded of on a visit to Wigan’s Empire Cinemas last week.
Wane arranged for the surviving members of that team from 50 years ago to each send a video message, which he then compiled into a film to show his players on the big screen. ‘It was a very, very touching video,’ Farnworth says.
‘A lot of the lads who were involved in 1972 said it was the highlight of their lives. You could feel what it meant to them to win a World Cup. After watching that, all the boys were ready to go out and play there and then. It was very inspiring.’
Farnworth had only just turned 17 when he made the 10,000-mile move from Burnley to Brisbane. ‘It’s probably the toughest thing I have ever done,’ he admits.
‘The day before I flew, I went to the local curry house with my mates, my last supper almost!
‘I could feel myself getting a bit teary and then when I walked home, I sat in the bus stop near my house and it all came out.
‘It hit home that I was leaving and going across the world and wouldn’t see my family and friends for a year. I put on a brave face but I was a bit vulnerable.’ Moving to Australia had been on the cards from the age of 14. On the advice of his uncle, Brian Foley, the legendary former Wigan Warriors head of youth development, he spent a summer holiday playing there in a local junior league. ‘I thought then it was probably where I needed to be if I wanted to kick on,’ he admits.
But despite that taster, he was still not prepared for life Down Under when he made the move.
‘I remember walking into the changing rooms and I was this scrawny, lanky, pale kid. It was red hot and all the Broncos boys had just finished a gym session and they had their shirts off.
‘ They were huge, all with tattoo sleeves. I’d never seen anything like it. I thought, “What am I doing here?”.
‘In my first session, the coach chucked me in against all the biggest lads to see what I was made of. Paddy Carrigan chipped my tooth.’
Brisbane prop Carrigan is over here with Australia, who England cannot meet until the final. Farnworth — one of England’s six NRL players — would relish a contest against the Kangaroos. ‘ It’s nice to play against players you know, because you know their habits,’ he says.
In May, Farnworth signed up to stay with the Broncos until at least the end of the 2023 season. He has also attracted interest from rugby union sides in England and confesses he could be tempted to one day switch codes.
‘It’s something I’d be open to,’ he adds. ‘But I’m not looking too far ahead. First, I’m going to win this World Cup!’
■ England v France, Saturday 5pm, LIVE on BBC Two. 2. Tote: