‘It’ll be a good year’: Dolphins recruit Herbie Farnworth’s cryptic warning to NRL rivals

Marquee Dolphins signing Herbie Farnworth has officially arrived at the club for pre-season training and immediately fired a veiled prediction to opponents.

Marquee Dolphins signing Herbie Farnworth has issued a cryptic warning to rivals about taking his game to another level on his first day at his new club.

Farnworth hit the training paddock at Redcliffe on Monday morning for pre-season training with the Dolphins as he starts a new life on a three-year deal.

And the 23-year-old, who enjoyed a stellar 2023 NRL campaign that helped propel Brisbane to the grand final, has hinted at further improvement at his new club.

“I’ve got a lot of things to improve on,” Farnworth said on Monday. “Had a little look at last season and stuff I can do better.

“I won’t share fully because I don’t want to give away anything, but it’ll be a good year this year.”

On the day he was reunited with the man who signed him to Brisbane but whom he never played NRL under — Wayne Bennett — Farnworth took little time fitting into his new team colours after making the jump from city rivals the Broncos

He looked happy and healthy, having overcome niggling injuries that forced him to withdraw from England’s three-Test series whitewash of Tonga, who are led by Dolphins head-coach-in-waiting Kristian Woolf.

Herbie Farnworth at his first Dolphins training session. Picture: Dolphins Instagram

“I came on the Friday did all the testing and all the boys here are really super keen for the year. I’m just glad to be back training,” said Farnworth, who enjoyed a nine-week break following Brisbane’s heartbreaking 26-24 grand final loss to Penrith on October 1.

“Oh, it was super tough,” Farnworth said.

“Obviously, anyone who’s lost a grand final, it’s definitely tough to get over it, especially in the way that we (lost).

“But, I’m pretty keen just to move on now and start working hard for this club and hopefully can bring something back here in the next year or two.”

Bennett signed a teenage Farnworth to the Broncos, but had left the club before the Englishman made his NRL debut in 2019.

Herbie Farnworth is working to improve his game. Picture: Dolphins Instagram

“It’s really cool, he signed me on my first deal at the Broncos,” Farnworth said.

“I think today was Wayne’s first day as well today. But he was on the field loving it, so it was pretty cool to be back with him.

“I saw some really good signs early on at this club and we have some good quality older players as well as younger players coming through, so it’s all looking very good for this year.”

Farnworth and former Bulldog Jake Averillo give the Dolphins’ backline some much-needed depth and are expected to claim starting spots.

Euan Aitken (19 games), Brenko Lee (13) and Valynce Te Whare (eight) played the bulk of the games in the centres for the Dolphins. However, Lee has now left the club and Te Whare is undertaking an intense off-season training schedule in order to gain much-needed fitness to be an NRL regular.

Both recruits can also play fullback, a position Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow was recruited to play in their debut season.

“I’m just happy for wherever Wayne sees me, I’ll play,” said Farnworth, who developed into a world-class centre at the Broncos. “I’m just pretty keen to get back playing and training hard.”

Originally published as ‘It’ll be a good year’: Dolphins recruit Herbie Farnworth’s cryptic warning to NRL rivals