Jack Howarth was denied by blades of grass and a controversy. Sunday is his shot at redemption

4 days ago 6

This time last year, it was the blades of grass on Accor Stadium, some desperate defence from the Penrith Panthers, and the NRL bunker that denied Melbourne’s Jack Howarth from scoring what could have been the game-changing try in the Storm’s grand final loss.

Howarth was the youngest player in the Melbourne Storm’s starting grand final side last year, and the 12 months since has been a rollercoaster for the centre.

Melbourne Storm centre Jack Howarth has returned from injury just in time to chase a premiership.

Now the faith of master coach Craig Bellamy and a last-minute recall for the Storm’s finals campaign this year has him firmly aiming to become a premiership player on Sunday night, should they salute over the Brisbane Broncos in the NRL grand final.

The 22-year-old said the controversial moment in the loss to the Panthers was a try, but the bunker said otherwise of Howarth’s burrowing attempt early in the second half. Had it counted, the scores would have been level at 10 apiece.

“The importance of executing those moments and changing momentum is so important,” Howarth said.

“It’s the two best teams playing each other and if you don’t execute, the other team will.

“Hopefully, we can just play our game of footy and win those moments.”

After that grand final disappointment, Howarth pledged to come back better this year, and he did before a dislocated shoulder early in the season was followed by appendicitis in June, just as he was on the verge of a State of Origin call-up for Queensland.

Soon after the appendicitis, he suffered a bout of food poisoning so dire that he lost five kilograms and did not regain his place until the finals.

Howarth thought his chances of playing in them were gone until Bellamy called him a few days before the qualifying final against Canterbury-Bankstown.

Storm’s Jack Howarth is denied a close try in the 2024 NRL grand final against the Panthers.

“I would have liked a few more games leading into the finals, but I was lucky Craig put me back in and that the team and Craig had that trust in me to step back in and do my role,” Howarth said.

“I didn’t know if I was going to make it back into the team as Grant Anderson was playing well. I also didn’t know where Craig was at with me missing so much footy, which is only fair, especially going into a finals series.

“But he called me up ahead of the Bulldogs game and said that all the boys wanted me back in the team and that they thought I could still do my job despite having missed so much footy.

“He, kind of, said he believes in me as well. He doesn’t give me too much, so when he gave me that, I was pretty happy with it. I was just lucky and very grateful to be back.”

Howarth has battled his way back from shoulder issues before, and he will have it repaired following this weekend’s grand final, but the extended illnesses and another injury unsettled him.

“Luckily, I was back after only five weeks following my shoulder injury but then my appendix … after the sickness, I felt like it was quite hard to get back after it,” Howarth said.

“I got it removed, then I got really sick after it. But I’m just lucky I’m back and in a position to play in the grand final. I’m definitely not taking any of this for granted.

“I got food poisoning after it, and I was rattled. I lost five kilos and couldn’t run for four or five weeks. It was then that I hurt my groin as well, so I was pretty rattled, but I made it back.”

Storm centre Jack Howarth in action in the NRL finals.

Howarth found strong form in the second half of the Storm’s preliminary final win over Cronulla and his left-edge mates Xavier Coates and Shawn Blore have him fired up for the decider, especially after last year’s loss.

“I feel like we know our strengths and are good at doing that,” Howarth said.

“Defensively, we are comfortable and back ourselves up. Leading into the grand final, we are in a great position.”

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