An NRL title in their fourth season would be remarkable for Dolphins – and might just keep the club together

A first NRL premiership will also put the Dolphins in the box seat to retain some of the club’s superstars, including Herbie Farnworth.

So says Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf, who is comfortable with how contract negotiations have unfolded recently with the likes of Farnworth.

Farnworth is now widely regarded as the premier centre in the game, and he confirmed that with a match-turning performance in the qualifying final win over the Warriors, which allowed the Dolphins to advance to a preliminary final on home soil against the Sydney Roosters.

There has been much interest in Farnworth’s next career move, with the Englishman heavily linked to the Roosters for the start of the 2028 season as James Tedesco’s successor in the No.1 jumper.

The Roosters are not allowed to talk to Farnworth until he becomes a free agent on November 1, but that has not stopped repeated reports about the Tricolours’ determination to land their man.

The Dolphins, however, are aware premiership success will go a long way to encouraging Farnworth stay put.

The Dolphins believe if Farnworth can win one title, maybe he will want to hang around to chase two or even three with his mates at Redcliffe.

“We have a fair bit of work before we get to a position to win a comp, but Herbie, like everyone, can see we have a great group here who are all at a good age and improving together,” Woolf said.

“That’s something that is really strong in terms of what will keep this group together.

“They [contract talks] haven’t been a distraction based on his performances, and it’s certainly not a distraction for us.

“We’re comfortable with the situation and the communication around it.

“Herbie is such a strike player for us. I loved what he was able to do against the Warriors, not just in attack, but his overall game – it was the kind of performance we’ve grown to expect and want to see from him.

“He had to work hard in defence, and when we went down to 12 men, he had to defend in a foreign position. But he was exceptional, which he has been all year.

“We don’t need much more from Herbie on Friday – we just need him to go out and be himself.”

Farnworth is managed by Joe Wehbe, who also has Tom Flegler and Morgan Knowles at Redcliffe, and Tedesco, Daly Cherry-Evans and Reece Robson at the Roosters.

The 26-year-old Farnworth’s match-up with Roosters right centre Rob Toia will be one of the great individual battles of the first preliminary final.

The Dolphins are fresh off the bye, welcome back Flegler from a concussion, and Woolf is happy to back his group to handle the weight of expectation in Brisbane usually reserved for the Broncos. Only single seats remain for the preliminary final.

The Dolphins have won eight straight games since their shock 66-0 loss to Cronulla in round 19.

“We just have to enjoy it and love everything we’re doing at this time of year,” Woolf said.

“You do all the hard work in November so you can still be playing at this time of year.

“We have expectations on ourselves with what we want to do. We’ve handled everything so far, including winning last week in what was a tough environment [at Go Media Stadium], and this is an opportunity to show we can handle it again.

“There will also be plenty of expectations on the Roosters, who have a great history of making grand finals and winning comps – that in itself brings expectations.

“They were big and powerful on Saturday night, and it didn’t surprise me the performance they came up with.

“We had a few days off to freshen up, and it was a bit like having a bye round, which is gold at this time of year. I expect the Roosters to be at their best, but so will we.”