Golden Boot shortlist revealed including England star and Australia trio

The six-strong shortlist for this year’s Golden Boot award has been revealed, featuring players from England, Australia, Tonga and New Zealand.

The award, which recognises the standout performers in international rugby league every year, will be decided by some of the game’s great players who have reached 50 international caps: including England icon James Graham, Australia legend Darren Lockyer and Petero Civoniceva, who represented both Australia and Fiji on the international scene.

England centre Herbie Farnworth has been named on the shortlist for the prestigious gong for the first time in his career thanks to his stellar performances in England’s 2-0 Test series victory over Samoa on home soil this autumn.

Farnworth is the only representative from the northern hemisphere on the shortlist for the men’s 2024 Golden Boot award, with the other five candidates hailing from the southern hemisphere.

Harry Grant, Tom Trbojevic and Isaah Yeo are in line to become the first Australia player to win the IRL Golden Boot since Cameron Smith back in 2017.

The Kangaroos trio are up against the aforementioned Farnworth as well as Tonga powerhouse Addin Fonua-Blake and New Zealand fullback Keano Kini.

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Grant, Trbojevic and Yeo were outstanding for Australia this year as Mal Meninga’s side won the Pacific Cup, avenging last year’s record 30-0 defeat to New Zealand with a 20-14 win over Tonga in last Sunday’s final.

The Kangaroos also defeated Tonga 18-0 in the opening match of the 2024 Pacific Championships and beat the Kiwis 22-10.

England winger Tommy Makinson won the Golden Boot in 2018 and the award has since resided in New Zealand, with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (2019), Joey Manu (2022) and James Fisher-Harris (2023) most recently scooping the award. The Golden Boot was not presented in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID.

Meanwhile, Kini enjoyed an impressive introduction to the international stage as he was a shining light in the Kiwis’ defeats to Australia and Tonga before helping Stacey Jones’ side beat Papua New Guinea to retain their status in the Pacific Cup for next year.

Fonua-Blake, the Tongan captain, remains in contention to become the first player from a Pacific islands nation to win the Golden Boot after leading his nation in the Pacific Cup this year.

The winners of the 2024 IRL Golden Boot awards will be announced in early December.

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IRL chair Troy Grant said: “The passion of players for international rugby league has rarely been more evident than in the past month and that has shone through in the quality of matches and individual performances.

“The atmosphere at CommBank Stadium last Sunday when Tonga played Australia was as good as any in world sport, but the emotions of players and fans has been on display throughout the Pacific Championships and the England-Samoa series.

“From the Samoan and English players coming together during the cultural performance at the start of the first game of their series, to the tears of Tongan and Kiwi players before their match in Auckland, it has been an amazing period for international rugby league.

“The international game is in strong shape again and excitement is already building for next year, with the first Ashes series since 2003 between Australia and England, while New Zealand, Samoa and Tonga will play in the Pacific Cup.

“On behalf of International Rugby League, I would like to congratulate all of the players who showed such pride and passion representing their nations and particularly those who have been nominated for the 2024 IRL Golden Boot.

“It is an outstanding field of candidates and any would be a worthy winner.”

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