Melbourne centre’s pain after grand-final injury
Scott Bailey |
A shattered Jack Howarth has admitted he is battling to not partly blame himself for Melbourne’s grand-final loss, after limping from the field in the first half.
Howarth felt his groin go making an early tackle on Brisbane’s Kotoni Staggs, while also suffering a biceps injury in the same contact.
The Storm centre had entered Sunday night’s decider carrying a groin niggle, with a meniscus tear in his knee causing problems in the groin and hamstring.
The 22-year-old was then forced to watch the final 65 minutes of Sunday’s defeat to Brisbane from the sideline, as the Broncos came over the top to win 26-22.
Howarth was at the centre of a controversial moment in the 2024 grand final, when the bunker denied him a try that would have put the Storm ahead of Penrith.
But the centre said the pain of this year’s defeat to Brisbane was much worse, after attempts to needle up his groin did not fix the issue.
“Watching on was the worst feeling ever,” Howarth told AAP.
“Even if we won I wouldn’t have felt like I deserved it. And I was worried if we lost it would be because of me a bit.
“It’s just a crucial position, centre. Especially defensively. It’s hard for someone to step up into that role.
“Wishy (Tyran Wishart) did a really good job when he did come on. So credit to him. But it’s hard not to think, ‘What if?'”
Howarth’s injury summed up an unlucky year for the Queenslander.
He first suffered a shoulder injury in April, before appendicitis struck and denied him a State of Origin debut for the Maroons.
“It happens,” he said.
“I’m a big believer that everything happens for a reason, and maybe it wasn’t my time to play Origin yet.
“Hopefully next year I put myself in a good position to get picked.”
Melbourne forward Alec MacDonald also played through significant pain in the loss, dislocating his elbow when trying to deny Reece Walsh’s brilliant first-half try.
He had it put back in place, and ended the game on the field.
AAP
