By JOEL GOULD
Herbie Farnworth is a young Englishman making a name for himself in the NRL.
Farnworth, 22, originates from the village of Blacko, which lies in the Pendle district of Lancashire with a population at the last census of just 672 people.
Farnworth was a talented football player as a youngster, spending time in the Manchester United development system before turning to Rugby League.
“I was with Burnley to start with and then I signed with Man United, I used to score bare screamers. I signed there for two years as a young fella of 10 and 11 and I’d go to camps and train with them,” Farnworth said.
“I was either a centre-midfielder or left wing. Then I had a talks with Manchester City but I wanted to focus on my Rugby League.”
No doubt that is due to the influence of his uncle Brian Foley, a former Wigan talent identifier and development coach.
While still a pupil at Ermysted’s Grammar School and playing for Wigan St Patricks and Newton Storm, Farnworth was taken to Australia by Foley and he was spotted by scouts for Brisbane Broncos. After leaving school he moved permanently to Australia.
Foley continues to send Farnworth training tutorial videos from England and regularly travels to Australia to work with his nephew.
LIFE OF BRIAN
COVID has impacted people in a myriad of ways but for Farnworth it has meant that his uncle Brian is tutoring and guiding him from afar.
Foley, who was living in Brisbane as Farnworth came through the Broncos’ system, returned to England at the end of 2019 for a sojourn and has not been able to return. But he still prepares videos for his young charge.
Picture the scene. It’s a grey, sleety winter’s day in Blacko. Foley is standing on the village green surrounded by six poles. He’s talking, pointing, stepping and weaving and a video camera is recording his every move, putting together a lesson that he then sends to Farnworth to study in order to stay in touch with the game’s core skills.
“I wouldn’t be here without Brian. He has taught me the ropes and everything I know,” Farnworth says.
“I am very big on skill. Both of us are. The work with those poles is all about fine-tuning all those little skills and getting them firing in combination with my footwork. I was brought up on it and I keep it up.
“Brian sends me clips and videos of what he wants me to work on. He also sends me videos from when I was younger, just so I keep revisiting those simple skills and mastering those.”
Farnworth is still often seen at Red Hill on the Broncos’ second training field, doing extras with the six poles. When Foley, also a former policeman, was in Australia he would be there by his side and would then go through his own routine, much to the astonishment of onlookers.
“Brian is pretty crazy with his own workouts. He still trains like he is 25. He goes hard,” Farnworth chuckles.
THE PEARL CONNECTION
When Broncos legend Steve Renouf sits down to watch his old team play, his focus is on the left centre who used to stay at his family home.
“It is a very personal connection for me because Herbie’s uncle Brian was one of our managers when I played at Wigan,” Renouf says.
“Herbie is a Wigan boy and years after I retired from Wigan, his uncle Brian would bring him out to Australia to train with the Broncos’ junior squads. My son Charlie was a similar age and they were in the same squads, and Brian and Herbie would sometimes come and stay at our place.”
Renouf is liking what he sees from Farnworth so far, as are other Brisbane greats, who are not always easy to impress.
“Herbie is at left centre where I played and I rate him highly. To give you an idea of how highly he is rated, each week our group of Broncos Old Boys give out a man of the match and in the last two years we have voted Herbie the best on many occasions, and that’s in a team that has struggled,” Renouf says.
“We all love him because he is a skilful player and a genuine competitor who has a go. Herbie has a go because he loves the Broncos. We don’t want to lose him because he is a Bronco through and through.
“What really thrills me more than anything is that Herbie is a really good person, as are many of the young Broncos – guys like Selwyn Cobbo and Payne Haas. The Broncos are built on that. Not only did we have good players when we were dominant, but also good people like all these boys are.”
For Farnworth, doing Renouf proud is also a badge of honour.
“I was in the Broncos EPD system with Steve’s son Charlie and we became mates. And because Brian knew Steve through Wigan, I have met up with Steve a few times,” Farnworth says.
“As one of the absolute greatest centres to play the game I am absolutely honoured to have him say anything good about my game.”
AN NRL PLAYER NOW
Farnworth’s rise in the NRL is a remarkable tale of persistence on so many levels. As a lad he was absorbed in football and would watch a Manchester United side, powered by the likes of Paul Scholes, Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs, sweep all before them. After his stint in the Manchester United junior system he made his way, via a stint in rugby union, to Wigan St Patricks Rugby League side in the under-14s, where he scored a record 38 tries in one season.
With Foley backing him to the hilt, Farnworth made the long trip to Australia to try and crack the big time. In his summer holidays he would play for the Burleigh Bears junior teams and eventually caught the eye of the Broncos, where he joined the elite development program [EPD].
For Farnworth, who makes the point “I’m a Rugby League player now”, the Manchester United aspect of his history has been done to death. He’s proud of it, but when he made the England under-16s Rugby League side that played France, his focus was on one thing.
His heroes and his inspirations became the Burgess brothers and other England stars.
“When I was growing up Brian used to take me down to the Wigan stadium and one of my favourite players was Sam Tomkins,” Farnworth says.
“I’d watch him at Wigan and he was the sort of player I was looking to be like, because he scored tries, set up his wingers and had a really good swerve on him.
“I also used to go and watch Tom Burgess play for the Bradford Bulls when I was 13 or 14 and it was cool to see him come out and do so well in Australia.
“Obviously, though, it has all been led by Sam Burgess. He is the one to look up to. He inspired a Premiership win for Souths (in 2014), with his brothers by his side. That meant a lot to us all back home in England and paved the way for young guys like me to come out and try and crack the NRL.”
THE FUTURE
Farnworth is off-contract at the end of this year and has received interest from other NRL clubs and from rugby union.
Foley has let the Broncos, Dolphins and all other suitors know that he wants Farnworth to get through the first few months of this season before any decisions are made.
Foley and Wayne Bennett are close, and the Dolphins coach admires Farnworth on several levels.
“I like Herbie as a player and I am interested in him,” Bennett says.
“I love the way he came over from England with a deliberate plan to back himself to play in the NRL and play for the Broncos.
“His uncle Brian came over with him and they both made a lot of sacrifices. It’s a great story in itself.”
Farnworth is also in no hurry to make a call.
“I have left it all with Brian and my agent and they have it all under wraps,” Farnworth says.
“Wayne signed me, but the first year I was in first grade was the first year he went to Souths, so I never got to be coached by him. He’s a great coach obviously, but I just want to focus on the Broncos this year and see what we can do.
“Kevvie Walters is a really good coach in his own right and we are starting to show how he wants us to play. He is very passionate about working for your mate and building the team on defence, and then we will get some points. Naturally I think I am more of a ball runner, so defence is something I have to work hard on and hopefully it is starting to show.”
The World Cup in England at the end of the year is also a massive carrot, with England slated to play a quarter-final in Wigan if they top Group A.
Farnworth has smoothed the waters with England coach Shaun Wane, who left him out of an elite training squad in April last year after saying that his standards “have dipped below what I expect”.
“I was left out but I have lifted my game since then. There was a breakdown at my end but I have spoken to Shaun Wane since then and I think we have sorted things out now,” Farnworth says.
“Both of us are really keen for this World Cup and I think England will go really well under Shaun. From the meetings I have had, his knowledge of the game is very good and I am keen to work with him.
“Wigan was where I first played Rugby League so it would be special to play there, but I’ve got to get into the side first. It’s a long way off, but it would be pretty cool.”
Reuniting with Foley back in Australia would also be good for Farnworth. He’s working on it and he has already has been to the airport this month to pick up his mum Joanne.
“It was the first time I had seen her since two Christmases ago and I feel like a little kid again. I try not to get too emotional but it was really good to see her and she will be here for six weeks,” Farnworth says.
“She has been cooking my dinners and all sorts, so it has been pretty cool. My dad (Richard) comes out in two weeks’ time. Now we are just trying to sort a visa out for Brian.”
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