The NRL has received a group of top-class British players in recent years, with several players standing out thanks to their recent performances. Who are the Brits currently playing here, and how are they getting on with their teams?ย
Ryan Sutton - Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogsย
Ryan Sutton began playing with the Wigan Warriors in his hometown in England, gaining a victory in the Super League Grand Final in 2016 and again in 2018. The following year, he joined the Canberra Raiders in time to take part in the 2019 NRL season, playing as a prop and lock.
That season, he played 20 times as he helped the Raiders reach the NRL Grand Final after a 25-year absence. However, he missed out on playing the Grand Final after Canberra lost to the Sydney Roosters. Around the same time, Ryan was chosen to play in the England Knights Performance squad and the Rugby League World Cup 9s.
2022 saw Ryan move to the Canterbury Bulldogs on a three-year deal, signing a contract to start playing there from the 2023 season alongside British teammate Max King. He played 13 times as his team reached 15th place. He was in the news recently as he flew to Mexico to get married to partner Kate Ford in an event that featured a Mexican fiesta theme.ย
Herbie Farnworth - The Dolphins
Despite being a highly rated football player as a youngster, Herbie Farnworth was spotted playing rugby league by scouts from the Brisbane Broncos. He initially played for the under-20s team in Brisbane in the 2017 season and scored eight tries before joining Norths Devils on loan.
Herbie broke into the Dolphins' first team during the 2019 season and won the club's Rookie of the Year award when they ended up stuck firmly at the bottom of the table. He then won the team's Best Back of the Year award in 2021. The 2023 season saw Herbie help his team reach the Grand Final for the first time in eight years after he scored two tries in the preliminary final.ย
The centre was recently praised by England head coach Shaun Wane after leading the English team to a 2-0 win in a Test series against Samoa, scoring two tries and earning the Man of the Match award in one of the games. He's just one player to look out for when betting on rugby sports events in the NRL or the international scene. The latest odds on outright winners and player performances from different leagues across the planet are readily available.
Will Pryce - Newcastle Knights
Born in Bradford, England, Will Pryce has played in various positions for the Newcastle Knights, including fullback and halfback. He comes from a rugby league family; his father, Leon Pryce, is a Great Britain international.ย
Will started his career with Huddersfield in the Super League before revealing that he'd signed a contract to play in the NRL with the Newcastle Knights. His debut there came in the 2024 season, and he marked it with a try in a win over the Parramatta Eels, although he only featured in six games during the season.ย
He's now in the second year of his two-year contract with Newcastle, so the next few months are going to be vital in determining Will's future. He hasn't managed to secure a regular starting position for the team despite no one else making the position their own. Given his reported salary of $400,000 this year, he's going to need some stellar performances to nail down a new contract in the NRL.
Morgan Smithies - Canberra Raiders
Born in Halifax, Morgan started his rugby league career with Wigan Warriors and was part of the team that won the 2022 Challenge Cup Final and the 2023 Super League Grand Final. The lock and second-row forward then headed to the Canberra Raiders for the 2024 season, playing 24 times during the season.
Morgan has also represented the England Knights and the full England team, with his first appearance in a full international taking place in April 2023.
These are just a few of the British-born players who are competing in the NRL right now. Most have enjoyed a degree of success since moving to the southern hemisphere, and it wouldn't be surprising to see more Brits joining them soon. Partnerships like the one between the Penrith Panthers and York RLFC could help to attract even more players from the UK.
