Jack Howarth (born 22 October 2002) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a centre or second-row forward for the Melbourne Storm in the National Rugby League (NRL).[1][2]
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 22 October 2002 Mackay, Queensland, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 193 cm (6 ft 4 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 105 kg (16 st 7 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Second-row, Centre | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
As of 6 October 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Background
editHowarth played his junior rugby league for Easts Tigers and attended Brisbane Boys' College, Brisbane before being signed by the Melbourne Storm.[3][4]
He was chosen to represent the Australian Schoolboys rugby league team in 2019, scoring a try and earning the player of the match award in a win against New Zealand.[5]
In 2020 he was a part of the Brisbane Boys College rugby team that won the school's first GPS Rugby title since 1954.[6]
In June 2022, Howarth was selected for the Queensland U19s junior State of Origin team for their match against NSW. Howarth suffered a head injury in the second half and was unable to return to the field.[7]
Playing career
editAfter two seasons playing with the Sunshine Coast Falcons in the Queensland Cup where he often struggled with injuries that hampered his development,[5] Howarth made his NRL debut in round 27 of the 2023 NRL season for the Melbourne Storm against the Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium.[3][8] Howarth had been signed to the Storm on a reported five-year contract from 2022.[6]
2024
editHowarth had an extended run in the Melbourne Storm squad during the 2024 season, earning a starting role in the centre position and scoring his first NRL try.[5] On 24 August 2024, Howarth scored against Dolphins for his third try with the Melbourne club. Howarth played a total of 16 matches for Melbourne in the 2024 NRL season as the club were runaway minor premiers. Howarth played in Melbourne's 2024 NRL Grand Final loss against Penrith. In the second half of the match, Howarth was controversially denied a try after certain replays showed that the ball was grounded over the try line however the decision to deny the try was upheld.[9]
Statistics
edit| Year | Team | Games | Tries | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 |  Melbourne Storm
|
1 | ||
| 2024 | 16 | 4 | 16 | |
| Totals | 17 | 4 | 16 |
Honours
edit- Club
- NRL minor premiership: 2024
- Individual
- Melbourne Storm Billy Slater Rookie of the Year: 2024 [10]
References
edit- ^ "Jack Howarth".
- ^ "Melbourne Storm lock in Reimis Smith and Jack Howarth on long-term NRL deals". 27 January 2022.
- ^ a b "Jack Howarth becomes player 232". melbournestorm.com.au. 31 August 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
- ^ Riccio, David (6 October 2024). "Locker Room: How every Melbourne Storm 2024 NRL grand final player was discovered and brought to club". Code Sports. Sydney, New South Wales: News Corporation Australia. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
- ^ a b c Gabor, Martin (19 July 2024). "'He didn't work as hard as he could have': Schoolboys sensation responds to pre-season challenge to make his mark at the Storm". The Weekly Times. NCA Newswire. Archived from the original on 19 July 2024. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
- ^ a b Gould, Joel (11 September 2024). "How Bellamy made Howarth become a Jack of Storm trades". canberratimes.com.au. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ Lenehan, Martin (23 June 2022). "Pezet's poise powers Blues to big win over Maroons". NRL.com. National Rugby League. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
- ^ "Storm hammer Broncos' NRL minor premiership hopes". www.espn.co.uk. 31 August 2023.
- ^ "NRL grand final 2024 quick hits: Biting allegation, Panthers halves swansong and a controversial bunker decision". www.abc.net.au.
- ^ Writer, Staff (8 October 2024). "Hughes caps off 2024 as Player of the Year". Melbourne Storm. Retrieved 9 October 2024.