The Canberra Raiders have been the surprise packet of the 2024 NRL season, sitting at the top of the ladder on the back of two strong showings from the forward pack.
Amongst some of the club’s stalwart forwards, new recruit Zac Hosking has stood out for the Green Machine and quickly emerged as one of the best signings of this season.
Hosking had a breakout year to start 2023 with the Penrith Panthers, asserting himself as a regular first grader for the reigning Premiers, before falling out of favour towards the backend of the year.
The backrower made 21 appearances for the Panthers and played a key role in helping his side secure the minor premiership last season.
Prior to his Penrith tenure, Hosking struggled to crack first grade in the NRL and made his debut at age 25, something he admitted led him to throw the game away for a short period of time.
“People keep saying I was a late bloomer but I was always sort of in the mix in reserve grade, I was performing pretty well throughout there but I just wasn’t playing NRL,” Hosking told SEN 1170 Sportsday.
“There was a lot times there where I was about to throw (the towel) in, I actually did at one stage before the Brisbane opportunity came up and I almost didn’t take that as well.
“I’m really, really glad that I did that because it’s turned out pretty well.”
After making a name for himself in the younger grades at the Newcastle Knights, Hosking was continually overlooked and as he began to progress in age, he started considering his life beyond the NRL.
“I was a full-time carpenter throughout this whole time,” Hosking added.
“I got really frustrated (at the Knights) after the 2021 season, it wasn’t happening and after being overlooked again, I thought, ‘This probably isn’t happening for me, I can’t really do much more than I’ve done to deserve it’.
“I was actually talking to someone I was working with about leaving the carpentry business I was working for and starting our own when the Brisbane opportunity came up.
“Initially I was going to say no and then I spoke to people that I really respect, like Andrew Ryan, who was my coach that year, obviously my family and other people.
“That sort of convinced me to go and not look back in ten years and wish you’d went, I took one last leap and it’s all turned out.”
In his first two matches for the Green Machine, Hosking has scored two tries whilst making 73 tackles and racking up 216 run metres.