Toia vs Farnworth in NRL preliminary final — ABC News Australia

In Brisbane, Australia, the Roosters will play the Dolphins in the NRL preliminary final on Friday. Roosters centre Robert Toia will face Herbie Farnworth, the English Dolphins player who leads the NRL in tackle breaks and offloads.

As ABC News Australia reports, 22-year-old Toia grew up in Redcliffe and expects support from numerous friends and relatives at the sold-out match at Lang Park Stadium. He is one of 10 children in his family.

Family ties

Toia said that he, Salesi Foketi and Siua Wong are cousins through shared grandparents. Toia had known about his relation to Foketi since childhood, while he learned about the connection to Wong last year.

Wong will play in the second row alongside Toia on the Roosters' right edge. Foketi has only cemented his place in the starting lineup in recent weeks. All three lived together in the Roosters academy house when they were younger, and also played in the final of a junior tournament against Penrith, for whom future Dolphins playmaker Isaiya Katoa was playing at the time.

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The task for Toia

Farnworth has 161 tackle breaks — 44 more than the league's next-best centre. He also leads the NRL in offloads with 75, and among centres ranks first in runs, metres gained and post-contact metres.

Toia noted that Farnworth is dangerous not only because of his ability to evade tackles, but also because of his workload in attack and defence. He said he hopes to limit his opponent's impact through pressure and proper defensive actions.

Toia comes into the match after two scoring playoff games, in each of which he scored a try. The Dolphins beat the Warriors 26–16 in their previous match and are one step away from their first grand final.