The Dolphins are reportedly bracing for a $1 million-a-season raid from the Sydney Roosters for Herbie Farnworth, with the 26-year-old now shaping as one of the biggest names in the NRL market. Farnworth lines up against the Roosters on Friday night, and the timing only sharpens the sense that the club could soon be forced to defend its most prized outside back.
The England international is off-contract at the end of next season, but he can negotiate on a new deal from November 1, which gives rival clubs a clear runway if they want to move early. He is set to command top dollar on his next contract, and that alone has made the reported chase worth watching far beyond Redcliffe.
CODE Sports reported that the Roosters would be the Dolphins’ main competitor for Farnworth, and the fit is obvious enough. Joseph Suaalii and Joey Manu have already left the Roosters in recent seasons, Angus Crichton and Mark Nawaqanitawase are headed to rugby next year, and Daniel Tupou and Daly Cherry-Evans are potentially retiring, leaving Sydney’s outside-backs picture in flux. The Roosters have also been linked with Murray Taulagi, which suggests they are not looking for one replacement but several.
That is where the story turns from interest to pressure on the Dolphins. Farnworth is not just any target; he is one of the NRL’s hottest players, and a move on that scale would strip a side built around his pace and finishing power of one of its main weapons. The Roosters have the reputation, the roster churn and the spending room to make this a serious play, even if no formal offer has yet been confirmed.
There is also a broader market squeeze at work elsewhere. Luciano Leilua had only recently said he wanted to stay at the Dragons, yet he has now reportedly requested an immediate release and wants out before the June 30 deadline. Nine Newspapers reported the request, saying he had grown frustrated by his lack of minutes for the last-placed Red V, asked interim coach Dean Young to drop him to NSW Cup, and may already have played his last game for the club. His case underlines how quickly contract positions can shift once players start looking elsewhere and clubs sense an opening.
For Farnworth, the next step is straightforward even if the outcome is not: he can talk to other clubs from November 1, and if the Roosters decide to formalise their interest, the Dolphins will have to respond fast. Until then, the debate is not whether he is valuable. It is whether Brisbane’s northern rivals will decide he is worth blowing up their outside-backs plan for.
