The exclusive club of England icons Herbie Farnworth could join after making Golden Boot shortlist

NRL superstar Herbie Farnworth could become just the sixth English player in history to win the prestigious Golden Boot award after making the shortlist.

The award, which recognises the standout performers in international rugby league every year, will be announced in early December: and 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.

Dolphins centre Farnworth, who hails from the small village of Blacko in Lancashire, has been named on the six-player shortlist for the 2024 Golden Boot award after his standout performances in England’s 2-0 Test series win over Samoa on home soil this autumn.

Farnworth faces strong competition for the award – with Australia trio Harry Grant, Tom Trbojevic and Isaah Yeo being nominated after the Kangaroos’ Pacific Cup win as well as Tonga captain Addin Fonua-Blake and New Zealand speedster Keano Kini.

But if Farnworth was to win this year’s award – with the winner being announced in early December – he will become just the sixth English player in history to win the gong.

Legendary quartet Ellery Hanley, Garry Schofield, Andy Farrell, Kevin Sinfield and Tommy Makinson are enjoying each other’s company in an exclusive club of English players to be named Golden Boot winners.

The exclusive club of English Golden Boot winners

Ellery Hanley (1988)

Garry Schofield (1990)

Andy Farrell (2004)

Kevin Sinfield (2012)

Tommy Makinson (2018)

QUIZ: Can you name every winner of the men’s Golden Boot award since 2000?

The Golden Boot award was founded in 1985 by the British magazine Open Rugby and it was first awarded to Australian icon Wally Lewis for his performances throughout 1984 – with Garry Jack (1985), Brett Kenny (1986), Hugh McGahan and Peter Sterling (1987), Hanley (1988), Mal Meninga (1989) and Schofield (1990) also recipients of being crowned rugby league’s best player for those specific calendar years.

No award was made between 1990 and 1998 at the time due to organisational difficulties – with League Publications Ltd buying the rights to the award in 1999 and began awarding the Golden Boot from that year on.

The International Rugby League purchased the rights to the award in 2017 and introduced a women’s category in 2018 – with the wheelchair category coming a year later.

Whilst the Golden Boot was previously awarded to rugby league’s player for their performances throughout the calendar year for club and country, the award was changed under the IRL’s guise to displays solely on the international stage during said calendar year.

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