It was a weekend of mixed emotions for England stars Down Under on Grand Final weekend with Georgia Roche becoming an NRL Premier with Newcastle Knights whilst Herbie Farnworth’s Brisbane Broncos side fell agonisingly short to Penrith Panthers.
Roche’s Newcastle Knights side came from behind to beat Gold Coast Titans 24-18 with Tamkia Upton scoring twice inside five minutes to prove the difference.
The victory means the England halfback as lifted both the NRL Minor Premiership and NRL Premiership in her first season with the club. Overall, the 22-year-old has made a total of eight appearances for the Knights in 2023, scoring once and providing two try-assists.
Elsewhere, Farnworth’s Brisbane side couldn’t force Penrith to relinquish their stranglehold on the NRL Premiership as a Nathan Cleary inspired comeback saw them become the first side to win three consecutive Grand Finals since 1983.
Despite defeat, the England centre made more run metres than any other Broncos with 185 including 51 post-contact metres from his 20 runs. Farnworth was also impressive defensively finishing the game with a 95% tackle efficiency missing just one of his 20 tackles.
The Newton Storm amateur finishes the domestic season with 15 tries in 26 appearances for Brisbane whilst also having provided three try-assists. Seven of his efforts came in Brisbane’s impressive nine-game winning run between Round 18 and their Semi-Final victory over New Zealand Warriors.
Both Roche and Farnworth represented England last season in their respective Rugby League World Cups and will be looking to wear the national team colours again this Autumn.
Farnworth could face some familiar faces as England welcome Tonga in a three-game Test Series with games being played at St Helens, Huddersfield and Leeds with tickets available here!
Roche has become a mainstay in the England Women side since debuting in 2018 and could feature against Wales as part of a double-header with England Men and Tonga at Leeds’ Headingley Stadium on Saturday 4 November. Tickets are available here!
