'I'm pretty out there': Howarth embracing Storm culture

Storm centre Jack Howarth didn’t need to think too much about the first two phrases he would use to describe himself as a person.

“I’m pretty out there,” he told NRL.com. “Loud. And caring. I’d say I’m pretty caring.”

They are traits that probably led teammates Ryan Papenhuyzen and Will Warbrick to describe him as the team-mate most like 'Alan from The Hangover'.

“I try to present myself as a respectable young man,” Howarth joked ahead of Friday night's preliminary final against Sydney Roosters at AAMI Park.

“When I’m in the sheds, I can be pretty annoying. I love making the boys laugh. Always doing stupid things.

"But when I speak to other people, I want people to think that I’m respectful and smart, so yeah, I try and do that.”

The 21-year-old from Mackay has had a breakout season in the NRL. After debuting last year, he has played 14 times for the Storm in 2024, emerging as first-choice centre from Round 17 onwards.

He learned to embrace the grind under coach Craig Bellamy since first signing for Melbourne in 2022 and has reaped the rewards of his long apprenticeship this season.

But, like anyone, he needs time to switch off from footy – and there’s one thing he loves doing more than most.

“I grew up doing a lot of fishing with my old man, so I still do that down here,” he recalled.

“I spend a bit too much money on fishing gear, but that’s my escape from footy. I like being outside, and it’s a complete switch off when I’m fishing.”

It was put to him that he might be a candidate to be a successful competitor on TV shows focusing on survival, like ‘Alone’ or ‘Dropped’.

“I think I’d be comfortable doing that,” he pondered.

“My old man’s pretty bush smart. I think if he had it his way, he would live off the land, but he has a family and needs to provide for them.

“He’s taught me a lot – a lot of bush knowledge. I’d back myself if it come to it, but I’ll try not to put myself in that position.”

On the surface, it seems like a big adjustment for a young man to move to the big city and make his way into the first-choice squad of arguably the most consistent side in the NRL.

He said that his time at boarding school in Brisbane, when he represented Australian schoolboys and Queensland U19s, prepared him for life in Melbourne.

“Brisbane, I think, is between that country and city life,” he said.

“I love going to Brisbane. When you grow up in the bush - I like a change. When I came to Melbourne, I think it’s similar.

“There’s a lot of Queensland lads down here like Harry [Grant], and they all have the same interests. So, it was easy”

For anyone, it takes a village off the pitch to create a first-grade footballer. Howarth cites captain Grant, development coach Todd Lowrie, and partner Georgia as the key rocks that helped him get to where he is today.

“I lived with Harry throughout last year, and he helped me heaps,” Howarth said. “He told me what I had to do, keep doing, what I was doing right and wrong.”

“Todd Lowrie looks after the Q Cup, and helps with transition from there to the NRL. Each week he was raw with me.

"He was like, if you keep doing these things, you’re going to get in the team. If I was doing things that won’t get me into the team, he’ll pull me up on it.”

“And my partner, she was with me throughout the last three years, moved down here with me. Going home, if I play a bad game, she still tells me I play good. It’s good hearing that.”

All focus for the squad now turns to the preliminary final against the Roosters on the weekend, where Howarth will be attempting to play his part in advancing to his first NRL Grand Final.

“I know it’s going to be a very physical game,” he predicted.

“Hopefully we can come out and get the outcome that we want.”