Cashed-up Roosters want to lure Farnworth to Sydney to replace glut of outgoing stars

The Sydney Roosters have their eyes on picking up another NRL superstar, with the Bondi glamour club preparing a signing package to try and lure Herbie Farnworth to Sydney once his contract in Queensland expires in 2027.

The rumour, first shared by James Hooper on FanaticTV’s Rugby League Insider show earlier this week, suggests Nick Politis is putting cash aside to try and sign in-demand Farnworth for as much as $1 million a season. The Roosters see him as a possible centre strike weapon, or someone who could even play fullback after James Tedesco retires.

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Easts have picked up Daly Cherry-Evans and Reece Robson recently, and neither came cheap. Still, with Tedesco likely up for a pay cut from 2028, Cherry-Evans and Daniel Tupou off-contract, and Angus Crichton and Mark Nawaqanitawase preparing to leave to play rugby next season, the tricolours are starting to build a war chest that has other NRL clubs worried.

For now, the Roosters only have Reuben Garrick (from Manly) coming through the door for 2027. The Sea Eagles kicker is signed up to 2029, and should slot in on the wing to replace Nawaqanitawase from the next campaign.

Farnworth would be an instant upgrade for the Roosters roster ⁠— and for any rugby league team he plays in, it must be said ⁠— but considering how very key he is in Redcliffe, you can expect a signing battle.

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And, all that being said, Farnworth has been very vocal about his desire to stay in Redcliffe and keep building with the Dolphins. Nothing solid has started between his team and the club yet, but this Sporting Base writer expects they’ll begin conversations soon.

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“I’ve been here for two years now,” the English superstar told 9News. “I’m sure that all [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.”