Howarth centering his focus with Slater's ongoing guidance

Aspiring Maroon Jack Howarth said he sees elements of Craig Bellamy in Billy Slater’s coaching style and was looking to learning more from his mentor during his time in Queensland camp.

Touted as a future representative player all through his junior days, Howarth’s elevation into the Maroons extended squad is not a surprise, but just like his emergence as a player to watch in the NRL, it has taken plenty of patience to get to this point.

At Melbourne, Bellamy has taken a ‘tough love’ approach to Howarth’s development, ensuring he focuses on the fundamentals.

While other clubs may have been tempted to fast track his inclusion in the top grade, Howarth has undergone a slow and steady journey under Bellamy who made him bide his time developing in Queensland’s Hostplus Cup after signing a five-year deal with the club in 2022, before granting his NRL debut in Round 27, 2023.

“I’ll take whatever I can get from Craig, if he gives me a wrap that’s usually one of the best games I’ve ever played because he doesn’t give me much,” Howarth said.

“But he’s made me realise the importance of working hard in consistency.

“He’ll tell me when I’m playing well and tell me when I’m playing bad, so it helps me stick to my routine and prepare for games as best I can.

“The last thing I want to do is get sprayed by him. He’s really opened my eyes. I don’t know if he’s put fear in me, but at the end of the day, he’s a coach and trying to coach the best team.

“If that’s how he thinks he gets the best out of players, which he does, the proof’s in the pudding. 

“I think it’s just when I got given an opportunity (to play NRL consistently), I took it.

“It’s a really cutthroat business, and I was just lucky during that period when I got my chance to play, I took it.

“All the players at our club backed me and wanted me to be there, so I was just grateful I had that support during that period. I might not be in the same position now if I did play earlier.”

Featuring in the backrow in the juniors and for Storm feeder club Sunshine Coast Falcons, Howarth has since found a home in the centres, making him a versatile option for any team he plays with.

Howarth said Slater – who assists at the Storm with some specialist coaching – had helped him with his role playing in the backs.

“Billy’s helped me personally one-on-one with a few centre traits and things he likes, which I took into my footy the last two years and it’s really helped me,” Howarth said.

“I’m comfortable in the centres at the moment, it seems like all the centres are getting faster and I’m getting slower, so if they keep getting faster, I might have to get pushed into backrow.

“But at the moment, I’m loving playing in the centres, and especially outside [Cameron] Munster and I’ve got Xavier [Coates] on the wing too.

“Playing in the centres has been pretty unreal.”

The Māori All Stars representative also said it had been eye-opening to see the shift in dynamics coming into his first Origin camp, saying he was impressed with the authoritative way Slater had been conducting camp.

“Just seeing him in this type of environment, he’s got a presence about him,” Howarth said.

“He’s not stern, but he speaks you listen.

“Because he comes in off his own bat to the club, it’s a little bit more chilled out, but when he’s in this environment, when he is getting his message across he has a type of aura pretty similar to Craig.

“He’s very focused … and I am excited to learn a bit more.”