Howarth’s Storm debut a toast to ex-Reds rugby star

Joel Gould | August 30, 2023

Former schoolboy dual-code sensation Jack Howarth will finally get his NRL debut for Melbourne and no-one is happier about it than his mentor and manager, former Queensland Reds flyhalf Shane Drahm.

Howarth, 20, will debut for the Storm off the bench against Brisbane on Thursday night at Suncorp Stadium, three years after inspiring Brisbane Boys College (BBC) to their first GPS Rugby title since 1954 and four years after starring for the Australian Schoolboys rugby league side in a 36-20 win over Junior Kiwis. On that day the lanky second-rower tore the Kiwis apart with his line running on an edge.

Injuries have hampered Howarth’s early NRL career but Drahm, who was his BBC coach, said his first NRL game was well deserved.

“It has been a nervous wait for me. I coached schoolboy footy for nine years including a lot of future Wallabies, but Jack was certainly one of the best I coached,” Drahm told AAP.

“I always knew he was going to make it. It was just a matter of when. It has been a long wait, even though he is not 21 yet.

“I think because of the player he was at schoolboy level everyone probably expected him to debut a bit earlier.

“Jack’s physical presence and power is probably his biggest strength. I don’t think I coached a kid with the physical attributes that he had.

“He was 103kg at schoolboy level, benching about 170kg. He was in the relay team and running a bit over 11 seconds. People like him don’t come around that often with those physical attributes.”

The heightened sense of expectation around Howarth since he was schoolboy went up a notch in January, 2022 when he inked a five-year extension with the Storm through to the end of 2027 while still just 19. 

Drahm, who was asked by the Howarth family to manage Jack, struck that deal with the Storm after he was initially scouted by Melbourne recruitment chief Paul Bunn.

The former Reds playmaker, who also played Test rugby for England, has a close relationship with Melbourne officials stretching way back. Storm co-owner Bart Campbell managed Drahm when he was playing rugby in England. Storm general manager of football Frank Ponissi was also Drahm’s defensive coach in England.

“I had five seasons in rugby overseas all up, two in France and three in England,” Ponissi told AAP.

“The first year I was defensive coach at Northampton Saints in England, Drahmy was our number 10. We hit it off and it was an enjoyable year coaching him.

“Drahmy has a terrific relationship with Jack. He really cares about him. He’s coached him and now he manages him. He has done a remarkable job with him.”

Ponissi said Howarth was a player whose development was hampered by COVID and in particular with how the pandemic impacted Melbourne.

“Jack played mainly rugby in the COVID year itself and didn’t play any rugby league. His first year at Melbourne was 2021 and when we relocated up to the Sunshine Coast for the second time he was injured at the time,” Ponissi said

“He had a few injuries again last year which frustrated him. Jack started the season really well this year and then he got another injury. Since he’s come back he has got a good run of games (for Sunshine Coast) probably for the first time in his young career.

“The first two years at the club we played him as a centre. With the change of position to second-row, and uninterrupted run in the back half of the year, we are starting to see the talent he has.”

Drahm was approached by his hero Mal Meninga to play rugby league with Canberra when he finished school but stuck with rugby.

Howarth has always paid tribute to Drahm as one of the great influences in his life and career.

The 46-year-old’s own coaching philosophies, which Howarth benefited from, were learned at the feet of one of the greats.

“I was coached by Wayne Smith and it is safe to say he is the greatest in the world from a rugby union point of view,” Drahm said.

“He was all about the love and care model. His philosophy was that a happy and loved player will always make a better player. That’s the approach I took.

“You don’t realise how involved you are until something like Jack’s debut happens. I told my family and they are all excited too.

“I got excited and nervous on game day as a coach. The biggest excitement was turning up and watching guys like Jack and (Melbourne Rebels fly-half) Mason Gordon win games with individual moments you are in awe of.”

One of those moments occurred when BBC had to beat Brisbane State High to win the 2020 GPS Rugby title outright. A tied premiership win was already theirs.

“As I expected it was our worst game of our season and I did something that day I had never done as a coach, which was change my game plan in the middle of the game,” Drahm grinned.

“The scores were close and I said to Mason Gordon that the game plan was now ‘pass the ball to Jack’. Jack scored four tries to put us in a comfortable position.”