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Storm centre wants to make big grand final play count
Melissa Woods, AAP • October 1st, 2025 8:38 am
Plagued so long by injury and illness, Jack Howarth is in the clear for a big grand final | Joel Carrett/AAP
Denied a crucial try in last year's NRL grand final, boom Melbourne centre Jack Howarth won't be leaving any doubt if he has another chance against Brisbane.
In the 2024 title decider against Penrith, the young gun looked to have burrowed over for a 49th minute try, which would have hauled Melbourne back to 10-all with a kick to come.
League greats in the commentary box were split. Andrew Johns was certain it was a try, while Brad Fittler thought Howarth's arm was under the ball.
Regardless, it was denied by the bunker, with NRL head of football Graham Annesley going to the length of showing the media other angles of the replay at full-time as proof it was the right call.
Howarth still isn't sure.
"I felt like I did (score) in the moment, but there's angles that look like it and some don't, so it was a big call and it just didn't go our way, unfortunately," the 22-year-old told AAP.
"I think that's why it hurt even more, it was so close.
"Looking back, it's hard to watch, so hopefully I get another chance."
Howarth has burst through despite interruptions, reaching 32 games for the Storm | Mark Evans/AAP
Howarth has had an interrupted season in which he's been sidelined with a fractured eye-socket, dislocated shoulder, appendicitis, food poisoning and a groin injury.
He missed the last five home-and-away rounds but returned for the finals and is hitting form at the right time, looking to get involved with some major carries.
"I get joy off seeing what happens off the back of a good carry and a quick play of the ball," said Howarth, who now has 32 games under his belt.
"We have really good players like Jahrome (Hughes) and Paps (Ryan Papenhuyzen) and Munn (Cameron Munster) and Harry (Grant) so when you get them quick play-the-balls, they can play their type of footy and we play really fast and that's where we reap the rewards."
Becoming a regular first-grader last year, Howarth said the only time he'd faced Brisbane was in his NRL debut in 2023, which was his sole match for that season.
But he knows what Broncos superstar fullback Reece Walsh will bring on Sunday, with the pair having played Australian Schoolboys together when rated huge teenage prospects.
"I played back-row then, and I think he was still at fullback and we kind of got close because we did a bit of the Origin stuff and the schoolboy stuff together, and he's a funny character, very loud," Howarth said.
"I remember coming up it was always talk about Reece Walsh.
"He was just always so fast but yeah, he's always been a freak."
Are the Broncos or Storm better placed to win the comp?
