The giddy reception waiting for Herbie Farnworth at the Sharks Stadium in the Sydney suburb of Cronulla feels more like a welcome for One Direction. Teenage girls desperate for selfies, ready to hand him personalised T-shirts and Taylor Swift-style friendship bracelets.
He is a poster boy of Australian rugby league. His face is on flyers for local sports bars, where you are more likely to stumble upon one of his NRL matches than the British & Irish Lions tour. League is king in these parts.