Herbie Farnworth has put pen-to-paper on a contract extension with the Dolphins just weeks before the November 1 free agency deadline.

Arguably the best centre in the world, Farnworth would have received mass interest from rival clubs had he got to November 1 without re-upping given his original deal with the Dolphins ran through until the end of next season.

However, the Dolphins astutely locked down Farnworth for one more season, meaning his deal has extended until the end of 2027 and keeping rival clubs at bay, including the incoming Perth Bears … for now.

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Farnworth was reportedly on a list of targets for the new expansion club, but Farnworth’s extension means the Bears won’t be able to make the game-breaking centre their marquee signing for 2027.

The price of the deal is unknown, but it could be anywhere near the $1 million mark given The Courier Mail reported back in May that the Dolphins were preparing an extension that would make Farnworth the NRL’s next million dollar player.

“This was an easy decision for me as I did not see myself going anywhere else,” Farnworth said.

“When I look at the roster the club has built for the Dolphins, I am so excited about what this team can achieve in the next couple of seasons.

“I believe we have the team to go with any other in the NRL and I can’t wait to see what we can do.”

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The importance of Farnworth to the Dolphins was never so evident during the back end of this past season.

After the centre went down with a hamstring injury against the Warriors, the Dolphins lost their next three games to drop out of the top eight.

Farnworth didn’t return from injury for the Dolphins this season but the Englishman is now fully fit and has flown over to the UK for the upcoming Ashes series.