Dolphins gun centre Herbie Farnworth is set to be offered more than a million dollars per season by the club as they look to stop him from hitting free agency.
The Englishman, who has secured the status as one of the game's best centres through his exceptional performances for the Dolphins this year, is off-contract at the end of 2026.
Under NRL rules, that means he will be free to negotiate with rival outfits from November 1, which includes the Perth Bears, who will have a full salary cap and blank roster at their disposal.
Farnworth has previously expressed limited interest in Perth, but admitted he could head to free agency to see which offers come his way.
While his preference might be to remain in Redcliffe, that decision could be made easier with News Corp reporting the club will look to turn him into the game's first million-dollar per season centre with a new long-term deal in the works.
It's understood that the Dolphins, who recently added Selwyn Cobbo to their backline for 2026 but have not signed him beyond that, view Farnworth as the priority signing for the club prior to November 1 and will stop at nothing to secure it.
Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf admitted as much.
“We certainly can (keep him), it's a priority of ours,” Woolf said per News Corp.
“I like what Herbie brings. I love his personality and presence around the group, and him as a player.
“He's a guy we want to be a Dolphin going forward and build the team around."
Farnworth, who made his NRL debut in 2019, will be a walk-up starter for England on their end-of-year Ashes tour, and it's unclear if he will sign with the Dolphins prior to November 1, given his commitments on-field with both the club and country.
Farnworth left the Broncos for the Dolphins ahead of 2024, and he has been in fantastic form ever since.
It's unclear how many years the Dolphins - who themselves are only in their third season as an NRL team - will look to lock Farnworth down for, but it's believed it will be a long-term offer, with the English centre a cornerstone of the club.
The Dolphins have no salary cap issues at this stage, with the top of their roster not burdened by the enormous contracts on display at rival outfits.
It means they should be competitive in the market for Farnworth's signature, with the centre likely to form the nucleus of the club's future alongside a host of other long-term contracted players in Jack Bostock (2027), Tom Gilbert (2028), Isaiya Katoa (2028), Jeremy Marshall-King (2028) and Max Plath (2028).
