Brits Down Under: Herbie Farnworth, Elliott Whitehead on scoresheet, Morgan Smithies stars for Canberra
From left to right: Herbie Farnworth, Elliott Whitehead & Morgan Smithies all star in this week's Brits Down Under
Round 15 of the NRL season is complete, with Burnley native Herbie Farnworth and ex-England international Elliott Whitehead both scoring tries, while Morgan Smithies was Canberra Raiders’ top tackler.
Brits Down Under is a weekly feature here on Love Rugby League in 2024, checking out how the NRL‘s British players get on every week.
Canterbury Bulldogs were the team with the bye this week, with many of the British contingent in the Australian elite either injured or handed a rest, including Dom Young (Sydney Roosters) & Kai Pearce-Paul (Newcastle Knights).
Here is a brief recap from Round 15…
Tom Burgess (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
Powerhouse Burgess enjoyed a 26-minute stint off the bench as the Bunnies beat Brisbane Broncos 22-12 on Friday, and made his presence felt in the game as he racked up 137 metres in just 13 carries. Only three of his team-mates made more metres, and the Dewsbury-born veteran – who made 17 tackles – had a tackle efficiency of over 89%, too.
Herbie Farnworth (Dolphins)
Wayne Bennett’s Dolphins kicked off the action in Round 15 with their 30-28 win at Cronulla Sharks last Thursday, and Burnley-born ace Farnworth – who played the full 80 minutes – got himself on the scoresheet with a try in the first-half. The centre also made the most carries of anyone in a Dolphins shirt with 19, and made the second-most metres overall with 215.
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Victor Radley (Sydney Roosters)
England international Radley slotted into the second row for the Roosters as they won 28-18 at Parramatta Eels on Saturday, playing the full 80 minutes. He made a whopping 45 tackles, the second-most of any Roosters player, and ended the game with a tackle efficiency of over 88%.
Morgan Smithies (Canberra Raiders)
Halifax native Smithies was the Raiders’ top tackler in their 34-16 defeat at home to the North Queensland Cowboys on Friday, ending the evening with 39 tackles to his name. The ex-Wigan Warriors ace played 52 minutes in total, all in one stint, and had an outrageous tackle efficiency score of 97.5%.
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Elliott Whitehead (Canberra Raiders)
Veteran Whitehead was the third and final try-scorer for Canberra in that defeat, crossing in the 69th minute. The Bradford-born ace was withdrawn circa six minutes later having done a 75-minute stint in the second-row, making 35 tackles and gaining 94 metres in total.
NRL Round 15 results
Cronulla Sharks 28-30 Dolphins
Canberra Raiders 16-34 North Queensland Cowboys
South Sydney Rabbitohs 22-12 Brisbane Broncos
Wests Tigers 18-10 Gold Coast Titans
New Zealand Warriors 24-38 Melbourne Storm
Parramatta Eels 18-28 Sydney Roosters
Manly Sea Eagles 30-14 St George Illawarra Dragons
Newcastle Knights 18-26 Penrith Panthers
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