Asked about his impending departure from the Broncos, fans standing behind Herbie Farnworth – praying for the chance to meet the star centre – responded before he could get the words out.
“Don’t leave Herbie. We love you Herbie,” the entourage of supporters cried at Red Hill on Monday morning.
Herbie Farnworth during a Broncos fan day in Brisbane. Credit: Tertius Pickard.
It brought an almost sheepish laugh from the English gun, as he reflected on Brisbane’s rise from the wooden spoon to the cusp of premiership glory.
The chants did not stop there from the hundreds of followers hunting photos and autographs.
Whenever edge forward Jordan Riki was in the vicinity, the women and young girls nearby were quick to sing: “Oh Riki you’re so fine, you blow my mind, hey Riki,” with the sort of vigour matched by a concert mosh pit.
Loading
One fan even pleaded with Broncos lock Pat Carrigan: “Patty, come decide my next tattoo,” equipped with the suggestion his face could feature in the fresh ink.
While Farnworth is preparing to play his final game as a Bronco, before beginning his contract with the Dolphins from next season, he could not help but marvel at how far this team has come.
From his first full campaign as an NRL player – the dreaded 2020 wooden spoon year, played under the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic – a complete evolution has neared completion.
He was instrumental in guiding Brisbane to this point in Saturday’s triumph over the Warriors – scoring two tries, while running for a game high 232 metres with three line breaks.
Now, Farnworth is no longer a member of a losing cause, but one of the game’s premier outside backs. The enormity of the transformation is not lost on him.
Herbie Farnworth scores for the Broncos.Credit: Getty
“In my first full year here we got the wooden spoon ... it was a low point, but I was only a young kid coming through, so I was just grateful to be playing first-grade, to be honest,” Farnworth said.
“It was a really hard time for myself obviously, you were only allowed to be at your house or training and I didn’t have any family out here, so I couldn’t see anybody really.
Loading
“It was very tough for all the boys too, especially when you’re not winning, it’s pretty hard to get away from footy. It’s pretty hard to put my finger on the turning point, but the boys have just worked super hard year in, year out.
“It’s been a slow grind, but ... I think we’re ready now to win this thing.”
Central to the Broncos revival – having won just eight games across the 2020 and 2021 seasons – has been the involvement of Reece Walsh.
Once an enigmatic talent whose seemingly brash nature drew the ire of rugby league pundits, now the devoted father and livewire fullback who – along with halfback Adam Reynolds – has spearheaded the club’s rise to become the most lethal attacking side in the competition.
The fans at Gilbert Part could not get enough of ‘Reece Lightning’, fandom the 21-year-old admits has been a total turnaround from years gone by.
“It’s a bit different from where I’ve come from, my name hasn’t been getting called too much when I was younger in the right ways,” Walsh said.
Reece Walsh during a Broncos fan day in Brisbane. Credit: Tertius Pickard
“It’s pretty pleasing, and I’m honoured to hear the kids calling my name and looking up to someone like me.
“I’ve been in Origin camps and the crowds are pretty crazy there, but I’ve never seen anything like this.
“That’s just the credit of the city we’re in, the people we’re representing, and it just shows it’s more than a game of rugby league.”
