One of the players who will line up for England in the tests against Samoa has been voted into the NRL Dream Team.
That man is Dolphins’ centre Herbie Farnworth who becomes the first-ever Englishman to appear in the NRL Dream Team on two occasions, with the former Brisbane man making his debut in the team last season.
It means he is one of a handful of stars to retain their place in the team, which is picked by other NRL players, alongside Samoa stars Stephen Crichton and Brian To’o as well as Harry Grant and Addin Fonua-Blake.
The NRL Dream Team has been voted for by the players since 2017 with England stars Gareth Widdop and Sam Burgess selected to that inaugural team. Since those two, only John Bateman and now Herbie Farnworth (2023 and 2024) have earned the nod from their fellow players.
It’s an achievement comparable to being nominated to the Super League Dream Team, of which the shirt presentations happened today, albeit arguably far more prestigious given it’s player-nominated and in the sport’s toughest competition.
Herbie Farnworth makes NRL Dream Team for the second year in a row
Credit: Will Palmer/SWpix.com
Farnworth made the move from the 2023 Grand Finalist’s Brisbane Broncos across the city to join the Dolphins and under Wayne Bennett, his game has arguably gone to another level.
He has cemented his status as one of the sport’s top two centres alongside Stephen Crichton who also made the team for the second straight year after a brilliant season with Canterbury Bulldogs.
The pair will face off against each other when Samoa travel to England at the end of next month for the two tests in a repeat of the 2022 World Cup Semi-final, in which Cricthon scored the decisive drop goal.
The RLPA NRL Dream Team was announced earlier via the NRL website with an article explaining the picks and both Farnworth and Crichton got a special nod.
It read: “Centres Stephen Crichton and Herbie Farnworth reaffirmed their dominance by retaining their positions in the Dream Team after both making their debuts in the team last season.”
With England already boasting Jake Wardle as the clear number one centre in Super League, they’ll have Farnworth to go alongside him in a back line that will also likely include Super League top try-scorer Liam Marshall and NRL giant Dom Young, anchored by Jack Welsby.
The full NRL Dream Team can be seen below.
1. Dylan Edwards (Penrith Panthers)
2. Zac Lomax (St George Illawarra Dragons)
3. Herbie Farnworth (Dolphins)
4. Stephen Crichton (Canterbury Bulldogs)
5. Brian To’o (Penrith Panthers)
6. Jarome Luai (Penrith Panthers)
7. Jahrome Hughes (Melbourne Storm)
8. Mitch Barnett (New Zealand Warriors)
9. Harry Grant (Melbourne Storm)
10. Addin Fonua-Blake (Cronulla Sharks)
11. Angus Crichton (Sydney Roosters)
12. Eliesa Katoa (Melbourne Storm)
13. Isaah Yeo (Penrith Panthers)
Impact Player: Terrell May (Sydney Roosters)
