Sport Confidential: Where’s Jack Howarth, Brisbane Broncos TV ratings bonanza
He signed a landmark contract with the Melbourne Storm and played under-19 Origin for the Maroons - so why was Jack Howarth not sighted in the NRL this year?
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Jack Howarth was trumpeted as one of the budding superstars of the NRL.
At 193cm and 105kg, the Queensland under-19s sensation was rated so highly by the Storm he was signed to a massive five-year contract last year and was expected to light up the NRL this season.
But while fellow Queensland teenager Jeremiah Nanai has been a revelation at the Cowboys, Howarth did not play a single minute of NRL this season.
He wore Storm colours in a pre-season trial in February, but concerns over his attitude and defensive reads prevented Howarth debuting in the NRL.
The 19-year-old back-rower has been learning his trade with feeder club Sunshine Coast in the Queensland Cup and Storm coach Craig Bellamy will be looking for Howarth to take the next step in 2023.
The Storm will lose starting back-rowers Felise Kaufusi and Kenny Bromwich to the Dolphins next season and Melbourne are hoping their big investment in Howarth pays off.
RATINGS BONANZA PROVES BRONCOS ARE NRL’S FLAGSHIP BRAND
It’s official – the Broncos are the most watched team in the NRL.
Sport Confidential can reveal a staggering 20.5 million viewers watched Brisbane across the 2022 season, once again demonstrating why the Broncos are the NRL’s flagship brand regardless of their on-field performance.
The Broncos haven’t made the finals for three consecutive seasons – the worst playoffs drought in their history – yet still they are must-watch viewing for millions of rugby league fans.
Despite finishing ninth, Kevin Walters’ Broncos were the most watched club of the 2022 regular season, attracting an average audience of 855,000 per game.
The Broncos have long been the richest club in the league, with a $53 million empire in the last financial year, and the viewing numbers vindicates ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys’ decision to introduce a second Brisbane team for the 2023 season.
Incredibly, the gold-medal winning Broncos had almost three million more viewers than their next competitor, with South Sydney claiming silver with 17.71 million viewers, an average of 738,000.
The top five was rounded out by Melbourne (17.7m), premiers Penrith (17.37m) and Parramatta (17.24), whose round 19 loss to the Broncos was Brisbane’s highest-rating game of the season on Channel 9.
For decades, broadcasters have regarded the Broncos as television ratings gold and the latest figures are evidence of Brisbane’s might with rugby league fans.
KEV SAFE BUT HEADS WILL ROLL
Broncos coach Kevin Walters is under pressure to shake-up his coaching staff and wield the axe in a bid to reignite Brisbane as a finals force.
Sport Confidential can reveal heads are set to roll at Red Hill with Broncos officialdom wanting Walters to make changes to his coaching staff following an end-of-season review in Brisbane’s late-season capitulation.
Walters may have kept his job for next season, but his key deputies may not be so fortunate.
Since succeeding Anthony Seibold at Red Hill last year, Walters has had John Cartwright and Terry Matterson as his chief assistants.
He has also added former Queensland hooker Matt Ballin to his coaching unit, while former Great Britain playmaker Lee Briers, who played with Walters at Warrington, will come on board for the new pre-season as a development coach.
But it is understood Brisbane bosses believe Walters needs more support from his primary assistants. If Walters won’t make the tough calls on his deputies, Broncos officialdom will step in and do it for him.
In essence, Walters faces a scenario where he must sack someone before being sacked himself.
In 2005, then Broncos coach Wayne Bennett took the extraordinary step of axing his three assistants Gary Belcher, Glenn Lazarus and, ironically, Walters in a bid to save his bacon and inject fresh blood to his coaching staff.
The move proved a masterstroke – Bennett’s Broncos won the premiership the following season.
Now Broncos powerbrokers, who are showing faith in Walters following a post-season review, want the coach to act decisively.
It is understood Cartwright is likely to remain at Red Hill, with many players supporting the former Titans head coach, a scenario that could leave Broncos foundation player Matterson in the firing line.
There is a view at Red Hill that Walters, Cartwright and Matterson are too similar in age, mindset and coaching methodology.
Kiwi legend Steve Kearney, a former assistant to Bennett at the Broncos, has been mentioned as a possible target, but he is in his second stint at the Storm under Craig Bellamy.
Assistants can make or break a head coach and the Broncos are hoping Walters can strike the right formula to make Brisbane a genuine title contender in 2023.
Former Broncos skipper Corey Parker says it’s crucial Walters nails Brisbane’s 2023 pre-season.
“The players must hold themselves accountable, but the buck ultimately stops with the coach, Kevin Walters,” Parker said.
“Big questions need to be asked next pre-season, by Kevvie and the players. What are we going to do better, for longer periods of time, than the opposition? What values are going to elevate us to success?
“When you go into a new season, you need to decide what you value as a team; as a coaching group and as players. If you want to have success when it matters, deep in the season, you have to agree upon non-negotiable values that will allow you to stand up under the greatest pressure.
“The Broncos need to change. And meaningful change can’t happen without honesty.
“Only the right answers can make the Broncos great again.”
VIDOT CALLS OUT NRL STARS FOR WWE
Former NRL winger Daniel Vidot has blazed a trail with his exploits in the world of American professional wrestling.
The former Broncos, Dragons, Canberra and Titans flyer believes Storm duo Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Brandon Smith are two NRL players who have what it takes to become WWE superstars.
At 130kg, Asofa-Solomona has the monstrous look to be a smash hit in the WWE, while Vidot says Smith’s charismatic personality and cheeky one-liners would be lapped up by American wrestling fans.
“Hey Nelson, get your butt over here, C’mon,” Vidot told Kayo in a documentary detailing his journey from the NRL to the WWE.
“Nelson’s got the size, he has it all.
“You also have the ‘Cheese’ (Smith).
“There are quite a few NRL guys who could come here and do this.
“Obviously you can’t be shy in the front of the camera, you need a big personality and I feel like a couple of the NRL lads do.
“It would be interesting if someone else wanted to do it, to be able to blaze a trail has been an honour.
“Anyone (in rugby league) who wants to have a go at the WWE, let me know and I can organise a try-out.”
Vidot, who is known in the ring as his alter ego Xyon Quinn, signed a development contract with WWE in 2018 and has quickly become a fan favourite for his creative moves.
After making his on-screen debut in 2020, Vidot took the WWE by storm with a hot streak of victories on one of the promotion’s leading brands NXT.
BRONCOS PLAYMAKER DEPARTS RED HILL
Albert Kelly is fighting to save his career in the NRL after being shown the door by the Broncos.
Sport Confidential can reveal Kelly has failed to win a Broncos contract with the veteran playmaker informed he has been overlooked for Brisbane’s full-time squad for the 2023 pre-season.
Kelly was thrown a lifeline by the Broncos for the 2021 season after a six-year stint in England’s Super League and the former Titan did remarkably well to make his Brisbane debut last year at age 30.
Kelly played a total of 12 games for the Broncos, including four this season, but a serious foot injury sidelined him for five months, opening the door for teenage sensation Ezra Mam.
MADDEN TURNS UP HEAT ON MAM
Broncos recruit Jock Madden is hoping to partner Adam Reynolds at the scrumbase next season as the Wests Tigers playmaker prepares for a scrumbase shootout with Brisbane young gun Ezra Mam.
Madden has signed with the Broncos, who came from the clouds to secure the 22-year-old to a two-year deal after he was heavily linked with the Panthers and Knights.
Premiers Penrith held talks with Madden, but with Nathan Cleary entrenched for the next decade in the Panthers No.7 jumper, Madden opted for the Broncos.
Madden was eyeing off the halfback jumper at the Tigers, but the former Australian Schoolboy is equally adept at five-eighth and open to moving to second receiver at Red Hill.
The classy Mam impressed for the Broncos in his debut campaign in 2022, but the prospect of joining forces with Reynolds sealed Madden’s move to Brisbane.
“Jock had a lot of interest and it came down to either Panthers or the Broncos,” said his manager Chris Orr of PSM.
“After meeting ‘Kevvie’ Walters (Brisbane coach) and visiting the club, he had made his mind up that he wanted to join the Broncos.
“The added bonus of learning from an experienced halfback in Reynolds, whilst competing with Mam for the No.6 jersey, really appealed to Jock.”
TOWNSVILLE HOTTEST PLACE ON EARTH
Townsville is the most popular place on the planet.
Well, maybe not quite, but the north Queensland town is a sell-out ahead of next Friday’s blockbuster Cowboys preliminary final.
The Townsville CBD has practically sold out of hotel rooms ahead of the Cowboys’ first grand final qualifier on home soil.
Only one hotel was showing availability on Thursday – and it was going to cost $800 for a one-night stay.
This is before the Cowboys’ opponent – either Parramatta or Canberra – has been decided and tickets have even gone on sale for what will be a sold-out game at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
Return airfares from Brisbane are also setting fans back around $1000.
Tickets for the prelim go on sale on Monday.
DOLPHINS INSIST THEY’RE SWIMMING
The Dolphins insist they will meet NRL roster requirements before kicking off their inaugural pre-season on November 1.
The NRL’s newcomers have only signed 21 players so far to their top 30 squad for the 2023 foundation season.
While they don’t have to hit 30 players until August next year, the Dolphins need to have at least 27 on their books when the season launches in March.
Player signings have dried up in recent times, but CEO Terry Reader said the expansion club wasn’t concerned.
“No club has to have all 30 signed by that day, we’ll fall into line,” he said.
“We’re quite comfortable with where we will be on the 1st of November with what’s required by the NRL.
“We’re comfortable with where our roster’s at and we’re in negotiations with players. There’s still a long way until we run out in March next year.”
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Originally published as Sport Confidential: Where’s Jack Howarth, Brisbane Broncos TV ratings bonanza
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