NRL 2020: Brisbane Broncos’ Herbie Farnsworth being chased by rugby powerhouse
BLINDSIDE: English rugby union powerhouses are interested in poaching one of Brisbane’s most in-demand talents - while Cowboys captain Michael Morgan will be forced to watch his team’s round three derby from the couch.
NRL
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The interest in off-contract Broncos young gun Herbie Farnworthnow extends to the northern hemisphere.
Blindside can reveal two English rugby union powerhouses have contacted Farnworth’s uncle Brian Foley, the legendary Wigan talent scout who recently returned to the UK due to the coronavirus saga.
Five NRL clubs, including the Knights, have made inquiries about Farnworth, who has also attracted interest from Australian rugby provinces.
Now English rugby clubs have entered the race, no doubt keen to leverage the Bronco flyer’s British heritage, with Farnworth once contracted to Manchester United at the age of 10.
The Broncos have begun talks with Farnworth and remain confident of keeping the boom 20-year-old.
CAPTAIN MORGAN BARRED FROM COWBOYS’ NEW STADIUM
He is North Queensland’s skipper but injured captain Michael Morgan faces being locked out of the Cowboys’ new stadium for their season relaunch against the Titans next Friday night.
Morgan will miss the round three clash after recently undergoing shoulder surgery but was at least hoping to support his teammates by joining Paul Green in the coaching box at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
But the NRL’s strict COVID-19 guidelines around game-day staffing and attendance could result in captain “Morgo” being relegated to his lounge room for the NRL’s Project Apollo kick-off on May 28.
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Under the crowd-lockout rules, each NRL club can have 20 players and 12 club-related staff in attendance on game day, with Morgan set to be squeezed out.
“There’s only a certain amount of people can go there so I think I’ll be watching our game on TV,” Morgan told Blindside.
“I only just got told so it stung me a bit. I was hoping to be there supporting the boys but it looks like I’m locked out.
“The Cowboys can name a certain amount of players and only have a certain amount of staff inside the venue.
“I assumed I would be allowed to go because I have been training with the team every day, but because I’m not playing, I can’t be there which is disappointing.”
COACHES CALL FOR 2ND TIER
The NRL’s 16 coaches have discussed setting up a second-tier competition to provide some game time for NRL stars who won’t be named in the top 17 each week.
The Telstra Premiership will resume next Thursday but with reserve grades on hold in NSW and Queensland, some 240 contracted players will have nowhere to play if they aren’t picked for their NRL team.
At the Broncos, the likes of Jordan Kahu, Tom Dearden, Richie Kennar, Xavier Coates, Ethan Bullemor, Jamil Hopoate and Rhys Kennedy face being sidelined for round three next week.
NRL coaches held a phone hook-up recently to discuss creating a league for the code’s fringe NRL players.
“We will organise some sort of reserve-grade scrimmages,” Broncos coach Anthony Seibold said. “It was spoken about where we potentially combine a few teams.
“We have squads of 32, so you can’t have two full teams, but maybe the Broncos, Cowboys and Titans leftovers can form a team to play games against combined Sydney teams.
“There’s no formal plans in place but we need to give these guys an outlet to play some football.
“Adam O’Brien, the Knights coach, said he worries about the mental wellbeing of guys who aren’t playing NRL and I agree with him.
“We need to look at some football for the fringe guys, even if it’s every second week for all guys across the 16 clubs.”
‘ALFIE, ALFIE, ALFIE’
The Gold Coast Titans have found their own “Alfie”.
Blond-haired halfback Tanah Boyd has earned the nickname “Alfie” for his similarity to Broncos legend Allan Langer.
Titans players and coaching staff can be heard yelling “Alfie” at Boyd during training sessions.
They will be chuffed if the pint-sized playmaker can grow into the type of player Langer was.
DARREN’S DADDY DAY CARE
Broncos legend Darren Lockyer has embraced alternative teaching methods during the home-schooling period.
Lockyer and wife Loren have three school-aged sons who have been cooped up at home during COVID-19.
Lockyer said he wasn’t big on book work but chipped in with other lessons.
“I try to break it up for them,” he said.
“They do what they get given by the school and I do different exercises with them. They’re still learning but it’s a different way.”
MORMON MISSION
Titans flyer Young Tonumaipea has had a setback after returning to the NRL from his Mormon mission.
Tonumaipea came flying out of the blocks when the Titans resumed training a fortnight ago, so much so he has suffered an injury.
The former Melbourne Storm outside back has been on restricted running nursing a leg strain, with coach Justin Holbrook saying he might have gone too hard after being out of the game for two years.
“He’s had a slight twinge,” Holbrook said.
“He flew out of the blocks. He was so enthusiastic he put a couple of really big weeks in and he needs to back off a bit.
“He will be okay in a couple of days.”
JUMPING SHIP
Which NRL media personality is making furtive inquiries about a new job with a rival broadcaster as speculation swirls around the future of the code’s $151 million digital arm? ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys will slash millions from the NRL’s digital operations, leaving employees nervous about their jobs.
DFO DOPE
Which Origin and premiership-winning star was seen shopping at a DFO outlet last week toeing the line around the NRL’s strict COVID-19 guidelines? Players are allowed to pick up groceries and essential items at the shops but shouldn’t be loitering around discount outlets.
Originally published as NRL 2020: Brisbane Broncos’ Herbie Farnsworth being chased by rugby powerhouse