Herbie Farnworth linked to Sydney club for 2028 move

Herbie Farnworth has been linked to another Sydney club for the 2028 season while still contracted to the Dolphins until the end of 2027. The Dolphins centre says he is happy where he is, but the noise around a possible move has already started to build.

Code Sports reported that the Sydney club is keeping a close eye on Farnworth and is likely to make a play for him come November 1. That puts the 2028 window in play long before his current deal runs out.

Farnworth and Kristian Woolf

Farnworth told 9News Queensland he has been at the club for two years and is “definitely happy at the club.” He also said he wants any contract discussion to happen naturally through Kristian Woolf and others.

“I’ve been here for two years now,” he said. “I’m sure that’ll (contract talks) will come naturally through Woolfie [Kristian Woolf] and people, so we’ll see what happens.”

“But yeah, I’m definitely happy at the club, so we’ll just see where I end up.” Those words leave the Dolphins with a clear priority: keep one of their top centres in place before rival interest gains more traction.

Another Sydney club watches

The timing is the complication. Farnworth is already tied to the Dolphins through 2027, yet another Sydney outfit is monitoring him for 2028, and he is also being viewed as a target in the November 1 free-agency period.

That makes him more than a standard contract case. He is an English international and one of the NRL’s top stars, which is why a future approach carries weight even before the 2027 season is finished.

Rabbitohs and Knights talks

The same stretch of contract talk has also thrown up other names. Wayne Bennett said the Rabbitohs will not make a play for Ben Hunt’s services for a farewell cameo, after rumours that South Sydney had tabled a one-year deal for the Broncos veteran.

Corey Parker was blunt about Hunt’s age, saying, “I would be reluctant to sign Ben Hunt; he will be 38 years of age and would be the oldest running around in the NRL.” He also argued the money could be redirected elsewhere, saying, “You don’t need a lot to say ‘we see a future with you, you can use some of Hunt’s money’.”

Elsewhere, the Newcastle Knights have opened initial talks with Bradman Best and Jacob Saifiti less than a week after Kalyn Ponga’s new long-term deal. For Farnworth, though, the main issue remains the same: a long contract still to run, and a Sydney club already looking at 2028.