The Parramatta Eels’ 2027 roster strengthening campaign has suffered another setback, after the Melbourne Storm formally announced young centre Jack Howarth will see out the final year of his existing contract at the club, ending widespread speculation of a player move that would have sent Howarth to western Sydney.
Rumors of a potential deal first emerged earlier this year, when league insiders floated a swap arrangement that would have sent Howarth to the Eels in exchange for former Parramatta back Zac Lomax. That proposal never moved forward, however, after Lomax was released from his NRL contract to pursue a career in rugby union. This latest confirmation of Howarth’s retention by the Storm marks the second high-profile recruitment miss for the Eels in their search for additional pace and finishing power on the wing, who were also turned away when star outside back Bronson Xerri signed a deal to join the Storm starting in 2027.
Howarth originally joined the Storm in 2022, penning a five-year, high-value contract after a standout junior representative career. But his path to first-team stardom has been slowed by a long string of serious, career-disrupting injuries that have limited his playing time at the top level.
For Melbourne, the decision to hold onto Howarth comes as the club faces significant roster turnover in its backline ahead of 2027. Star outside backs Will Warbrick, Nick Meaney and Tyran Wishart are all set to depart for rival NRL clubs in the coming off-season, leaving the Storm needing to retain depth to reinforce their squad. The club has already moved to address these departures by signing Xerri and Jamayne Isaako to add depth and firepower to their backline ahead of the 2027 season.
Speculation around Howarth’s future ramped up following the Storm’s narrow 14-6 loss to the Sydney Roosters at Allianz Stadium last Friday. Speaking to reporters in the team sheds after the match, Howarth declined to comment on transfer rumors, emphasizing that he was focused on contributing to Melbourne for the remainder of the current season. “At the moment I’m just trying to focus on playing consistently each week, and then whatever happens, happens. My focus is just playing good for the team that I’m signed with at the moment and put my best foot forward for those guys,” Howarth told NewsWire after the loss. “I’ve got my manager dealing with all that sort of stuff. Like I said before, my goal is just trying to play the best footy I can at the moment.”
Howarth also addressed the devastating season- and Storm career-ending Achilles injury suffered by Warbrick in the first half of the Roosters match. With multiple stars already sidelined for the season – including Eli Katoa, Xavier Coates and Tui Kamikamica, plus key playmakers Cameron Munster and Jahrome Hughes – the injury cut short Warbrick’s tenure at the club before his scheduled departure. “It just hurts because when people like that have injuries like that, they don’t deserve it, and it’s just hard seeing your mate in that type of state,” Howarth said. “We’re all behind him and we’re going to be supporting him through these next couple of weeks. I hope his recovery goes well.” He added that the squad has maintained a “next man up” mentality through the rash of injuries, noting that while the losses are devastating for the injured players, they create opportunities for other squad members to step into first-team roles. The club formally confirmed Howarth would remain under contract on Saturday, ending the Eels’ hopes of adding the young centre to their 2027 roster.