Yet later in the game, Howarth looked to have out-muscled an opponent only to find a desperate Joey Manu grabbing his shorts and pulling them down, exposing his backside to 29,000 fans in the stadium – and millions watching from home.
“It looks like they haven’t had too much sun down here in Melbourne,” Former Storm skipper Cameron Smith quipped in commentary for Nine.
Howarth’s powerful play has forced opponents to do this a few times. Some players need to pull their socks up – Howarth admits he must tie his shorts tighter.
“This isn’t the first time it has happened,” Howarth said with a shake of his head.
“I’m going to have to tie my budgies and my shorts up a bit tighter. I think I’m scarring a few people in the crowd.”
Howarth moved from Rockhampton to boarding school at noted rugby union school Brisbane Boys’ College, where he played with Wallabies star turned Gold Coast Titan Carter Gordon and was good friends with Gordon’s brother Mason.
Howarth had dreams of quickly establishing himself when he signed with the Storm but repeated hamstring and shoulder injuries took their toll.
Jack Howarth runs with multiple Roosters hanging off him.Credit: Getty Images
Howarth worked hard enough to get a debut game last year.
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“It gave me that hunger,” Howarth said.
“I realised where I needed to be and where I needed to get to and that little taste of it really made me knuckle down and put my best foot forward during preseason.”
While playing in a grand final still feels surreal to Howarth, he will only have one motivation when he takes the field against Penrith.
“I’ve learned so much and when you get the trust of the boys, you just don’t want to let them down,” Howarth said.
“I reckon it has taken my footy to another level. I look up to them and I want to earn their trust and when I have that motive behind me, that helps my performance.”
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