Brett Howland


Brett Howland is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He played for the Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League competition. He previously played for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks but was forced out due to the salary cap. His position of choice is at, although he has also been known to play at.

Playing career

Howland was a Cronulla junior and made his first grade debut for Cronulla-Sutherland in 1997. In 1999, Howland enjoyed his best season as a player scoring 18 tries in 26 games. The season was also the best on record for Cronulla as they won the minor premiership and were favorites to win their first premiership since admission into the premiership in 1967. Cronulla backed up this claim by defeating Brisbane 42–20 in the qualifying final. In the preliminary final against St George, Cronulla lead at half time but ended up losing the match 24–8 with Howland playing on the wing.
In 2000, Cronulla finished 8th on the table and were eliminated in the first week of the finals by Brisbane with Howland playing on the wing.
In 2001, Howland joined Canterbury-Bankstown and played 12 games for the club in his first season. In 2002, Howland didn't feature in any first grade games for Canterbury but played in the reserve grade premiership winning team.
In 2003, Howland joined Penrith but was not included in the 2003 premiership winning team. As 2003 NRL premiers, Penrith travelled to England to face Super League VIII champions, the Bradford Bulls in the 2004 World Club Challenge. Howland played on the wing in the Penrith's 22–4 loss. Howland played 2 further seasons for Penrith and retired at the end of the 2005 season.

Career highlights