Novocastrian dreaming of shot at NRL glory he missed out on at Penrith
The back-rower is part of a Canberra side who were top of the table prior to Canterbury's clash with Brisbane on Friday night.
It's a familiar place on the ladder for Hosking from his time at Penrith, when the Panthers led the 2023 competition for much of the year, before claiming a minor-major premiership double.
After making his NRL debut and playing four games with Brisbane the season prior, Hosking was a key part of Penrith's 2023 campaign, playing in all but four games of the regular season, and in a qualifying final.
But he was dropped for Penrith's last two games - a preliminary final and the grand final.
"Absolutely," Hosking said of whether he was dreaming of a run to this year's decider.
"It really hurt that year.
"I feel like this year I've got another crack at it, hopefully."
The Raiders, who host the Dragons on Saturday night, led the NRL after 17 rounds - winning 13 of their first 16 games.
With a favourable draw on the run home, they are a genuine chance of winning their first minor premiership since 1990.
If they do finish first, or even in the top four, history says they will have a much better chance of claiming the title than if they ran fifth to eighth.
No team has won the competition from outside the top four in the NRL era, nor since 1995.
"It's been a great season so far," Hosking said, speaking to the Newcastle Herald after Canberra's 22-18 win over the Knights.
"We're a different side to what we were last year.
"Those sorts of games, we probably end up losing those ones [last year], but we keep finding a way to win.
"Sticky [Canberra coach Ricky Stuart] instilled a lot of stuff into us in the pre-season over summer, and that's really carried into the season so far. Everyone who has come in has done a really good job.
"Everyone is just pulling their weight at the moment, we're not relying on one person, and I think that is the difference."
A Central Newcastle junior, Hosking was a two-time NSW Cup player of the year at the Knights before departing in late 2021 for a train-and-trial opportunity with Brisbane.
He joined the Raiders after only one year at Penrith, who reluctantly let him go, and has had a mixed couple of campaigns in the nation's capital.
Last season, he started the year so well he was considered one of, if not the, form players in the NRL. But a shoulder injury ruled him out for most of the year, Hosking returning late in the campaign to make eight appearances overall.
This year, the 28-year-old has played in 12 of Canberra's 13 games, finding his feet again after a string of injuries.
"I had never really missed two or three weeks of footy ... before I got to Canberra, and then it was just one thing after the next. I was really unlucky," he said.
"After the shoulder, it was the calf just before [round one in] Vegas, and then I broke my hand in round two ... After that third one, I got told they come in threes, so no more after that. But since then, I've been really healthy and loving playing week-to-week."
Hosking may have only made 45 NRL appearances, but he is in Canberra's leadership group and relishes being a senior player.
"I took a while to get to the NRL, but once I got there I haven't really left," he said. "What I lack in NRL experience, I make up for in life experience in other ways. I feel like I've moved into that leadership space, and I love that sort of role. It will be one I'll have to keep working on next year when we lose guys like Jamal [Fogarty]."
Hosking could be forgiven for pondering his Penrith departure after they went on to win a fourth consecutive premiership last season, but he now finds himself in a side that looks a genuine title contender.
When he signed with Canberra, whilst they were a solid team - finishing eighth in 2023 - they looked well away from where they are now. Some pundits even tipped them for the wooden-spoon this season.
"I didn't know what to expect, but I knew the opportunity was really good, and the group was really good," Hosking said. "If we got it right, we could do something like this.
"We've had those conversations that we're brave enough to think we can go all the way, but as cliche as it sounds, we really are taking it one game at a time.
"We've set ourselves up for a good end of season, it's just about winning the games that people expect us to win."
Zac Hosking is finding it hard not to dream of achieving what he missed out on at Penrith - playing in a grand final.
The back-rower is part of a Canberra side who were top of the table prior to Canterbury's clash with Brisbane on Friday night.
It's a familiar place on the ladder for Hosking from his time at Penrith, when the Panthers led the 2023 competition for much of the year, before claiming a minor-major premiership double.
After making his NRL debut and playing four games with Brisbane the season prior, Hosking was a key part of Penrith's 2023 campaign, playing in all but four games of the regular season, and in a qualifying final.
But he was dropped for Penrith's last two games - a preliminary final and the grand final.
"Absolutely," Hosking said of whether he was dreaming of a run to this year's decider.
"It really hurt that year.
"I feel like this year I've got another crack at it, hopefully."
The Raiders, who host the Dragons on Saturday night, led the NRL after 17 rounds - winning 13 of their first 16 games.
With a favourable draw on the run home, they are a genuine chance of winning their first minor premiership since 1990.
If they do finish first, or even in the top four, history says they will have a much better chance of claiming the title than if they ran fifth to eighth.
No team has won the competition from outside the top four in the NRL era, nor since 1995.
"It's been a great season so far," Hosking said, speaking to the Newcastle Herald after Canberra's 22-18 win over the Knights.
"We're a different side to what we were last year.
"Those sorts of games, we probably end up losing those ones [last year], but we keep finding a way to win.
"Sticky [Canberra coach Ricky Stuart] instilled a lot of stuff into us in the pre-season over summer, and that's really carried into the season so far. Everyone who has come in has done a really good job.
"Everyone is just pulling their weight at the moment, we're not relying on one person, and I think that is the difference."
A Central Newcastle junior, Hosking was a two-time NSW Cup player of the year at the Knights before departing in late 2021 for a train-and-trial opportunity with Brisbane.
He joined the Raiders after only one year at Penrith, who reluctantly let him go, and has had a mixed couple of campaigns in the nation's capital.
Last season, he started the year so well he was considered one of, if not the, form players in the NRL. But a shoulder injury ruled him out for most of the year, Hosking returning late in the campaign to make eight appearances overall.
This year, the 28-year-old has played in 12 of Canberra's 13 games, finding his feet again after a string of injuries.
"I had never really missed two or three weeks of footy ... before I got to Canberra, and then it was just one thing after the next. I was really unlucky," he said.
"After the shoulder, it was the calf just before [round one in] Vegas, and then I broke my hand in round two ... After that third one, I got told they come in threes, so no more after that. But since then, I've been really healthy and loving playing week-to-week."
Hosking may have only made 45 NRL appearances, but he is in Canberra's leadership group and relishes being a senior player.
"I took a while to get to the NRL, but once I got there I haven't really left," he said. "What I lack in NRL experience, I make up for in life experience in other ways. I feel like I've moved into that leadership space, and I love that sort of role. It will be one I'll have to keep working on next year when we lose guys like Jamal [Fogarty]."
Hosking could be forgiven for pondering his Penrith departure after they went on to win a fourth consecutive premiership last season, but he now finds himself in a side that looks a genuine title contender.
When he signed with Canberra, whilst they were a solid team - finishing eighth in 2023 - they looked well away from where they are now. Some pundits even tipped them for the wooden-spoon this season.
"I didn't know what to expect, but I knew the opportunity was really good, and the group was really good," Hosking said. "If we got it right, we could do something like this.
"We've had those conversations that we're brave enough to think we can go all the way, but as cliche as it sounds, we really are taking it one game at a time.
"We've set ourselves up for a good end of season, it's just about winning the games that people expect us to win."
Zac Hosking is finding it hard not to dream of achieving what he missed out on at Penrith - playing in a grand final.
The back-rower is part of a Canberra side who were top of the table prior to Canterbury's clash with Brisbane on Friday night.
It's a familiar place on the ladder for Hosking from his time at Penrith, when the Panthers led the 2023 competition for much of the year, before claiming a minor-major premiership double.
After making his NRL debut and playing four games with Brisbane the season prior, Hosking was a key part of Penrith's 2023 campaign, playing in all but four games of the regular season, and in a qualifying final.
But he was dropped for Penrith's last two games - a preliminary final and the grand final.
"Absolutely," Hosking said of whether he was dreaming of a run to this year's decider.
"It really hurt that year.
"I feel like this year I've got another crack at it, hopefully."
The Raiders, who host the Dragons on Saturday night, led the NRL after 17 rounds - winning 13 of their first 16 games.
With a favourable draw on the run home, they are a genuine chance of winning their first minor premiership since 1990.
If they do finish first, or even in the top four, history says they will have a much better chance of claiming the title than if they ran fifth to eighth.
No team has won the competition from outside the top four in the NRL era, nor since 1995.
"It's been a great season so far," Hosking said, speaking to the Newcastle Herald after Canberra's 22-18 win over the Knights.
"We're a different side to what we were last year.
"Those sorts of games, we probably end up losing those ones [last year], but we keep finding a way to win.
"Sticky [Canberra coach Ricky Stuart] instilled a lot of stuff into us in the pre-season over summer, and that's really carried into the season so far. Everyone who has come in has done a really good job.
"Everyone is just pulling their weight at the moment, we're not relying on one person, and I think that is the difference."
A Central Newcastle junior, Hosking was a two-time NSW Cup player of the year at the Knights before departing in late 2021 for a train-and-trial opportunity with Brisbane.
He joined the Raiders after only one year at Penrith, who reluctantly let him go, and has had a mixed couple of campaigns in the nation's capital.
Last season, he started the year so well he was considered one of, if not the, form players in the NRL. But a shoulder injury ruled him out for most of the year, Hosking returning late in the campaign to make eight appearances overall.
This year, the 28-year-old has played in 12 of Canberra's 13 games, finding his feet again after a string of injuries.
"I had never really missed two or three weeks of footy ... before I got to Canberra, and then it was just one thing after the next. I was really unlucky," he said.
"After the shoulder, it was the calf just before [round one in] Vegas, and then I broke my hand in round two ... After that third one, I got told they come in threes, so no more after that. But since then, I've been really healthy and loving playing week-to-week."
Hosking may have only made 45 NRL appearances, but he is in Canberra's leadership group and relishes being a senior player.
"I took a while to get to the NRL, but once I got there I haven't really left," he said. "What I lack in NRL experience, I make up for in life experience in other ways. I feel like I've moved into that leadership space, and I love that sort of role. It will be one I'll have to keep working on next year when we lose guys like Jamal [Fogarty]."
Hosking could be forgiven for pondering his Penrith departure after they went on to win a fourth consecutive premiership last season, but he now finds himself in a side that looks a genuine title contender.
When he signed with Canberra, whilst they were a solid team - finishing eighth in 2023 - they looked well away from where they are now. Some pundits even tipped them for the wooden-spoon this season.
"I didn't know what to expect, but I knew the opportunity was really good, and the group was really good," Hosking said. "If we got it right, we could do something like this.
"We've had those conversations that we're brave enough to think we can go all the way, but as cliche as it sounds, we really are taking it one game at a time.
"We've set ourselves up for a good end of season, it's just about winning the games that people expect us to win."
Zac Hosking is finding it hard not to dream of achieving what he missed out on at Penrith - playing in a grand final.
The back-rower is part of a Canberra side who were top of the table prior to Canterbury's clash with Brisbane on Friday night.
It's a familiar place on the ladder for Hosking from his time at Penrith, when the Panthers led the 2023 competition for much of the year, before claiming a minor-major premiership double.
After making his NRL debut and playing four games with Brisbane the season prior, Hosking was a key part of Penrith's 2023 campaign, playing in all but four games of the regular season, and in a qualifying final.
But he was dropped for Penrith's last two games - a preliminary final and the grand final.
"Absolutely," Hosking said of whether he was dreaming of a run to this year's decider.
"It really hurt that year.
"I feel like this year I've got another crack at it, hopefully."
The Raiders, who host the Dragons on Saturday night, led the NRL after 17 rounds - winning 13 of their first 16 games.
With a favourable draw on the run home, they are a genuine chance of winning their first minor premiership since 1990.
If they do finish first, or even in the top four, history says they will have a much better chance of claiming the title than if they ran fifth to eighth.
No team has won the competition from outside the top four in the NRL era, nor since 1995.
"It's been a great season so far," Hosking said, speaking to the Newcastle Herald after Canberra's 22-18 win over the Knights.
"We're a different side to what we were last year.
"Those sorts of games, we probably end up losing those ones [last year], but we keep finding a way to win.
"Sticky [Canberra coach Ricky Stuart] instilled a lot of stuff into us in the pre-season over summer, and that's really carried into the season so far. Everyone who has come in has done a really good job.
"Everyone is just pulling their weight at the moment, we're not relying on one person, and I think that is the difference."
A Central Newcastle junior, Hosking was a two-time NSW Cup player of the year at the Knights before departing in late 2021 for a train-and-trial opportunity with Brisbane.
He joined the Raiders after only one year at Penrith, who reluctantly let him go, and has had a mixed couple of campaigns in the nation's capital.
Last season, he started the year so well he was considered one of, if not the, form players in the NRL. But a shoulder injury ruled him out for most of the year, Hosking returning late in the campaign to make eight appearances overall.
This year, the 28-year-old has played in 12 of Canberra's 13 games, finding his feet again after a string of injuries.
"I had never really missed two or three weeks of footy ... before I got to Canberra, and then it was just one thing after the next. I was really unlucky," he said.
"After the shoulder, it was the calf just before [round one in] Vegas, and then I broke my hand in round two ... After that third one, I got told they come in threes, so no more after that. But since then, I've been really healthy and loving playing week-to-week."
Hosking may have only made 45 NRL appearances, but he is in Canberra's leadership group and relishes being a senior player.
"I took a while to get to the NRL, but once I got there I haven't really left," he said. "What I lack in NRL experience, I make up for in life experience in other ways. I feel like I've moved into that leadership space, and I love that sort of role. It will be one I'll have to keep working on next year when we lose guys like Jamal [Fogarty]."
Hosking could be forgiven for pondering his Penrith departure after they went on to win a fourth consecutive premiership last season, but he now finds himself in a side that looks a genuine title contender.
When he signed with Canberra, whilst they were a solid team - finishing eighth in 2023 - they looked well away from where they are now. Some pundits even tipped them for the wooden-spoon this season.
"I didn't know what to expect, but I knew the opportunity was really good, and the group was really good," Hosking said. "If we got it right, we could do something like this.
"We've had those conversations that we're brave enough to think we can go all the way, but as cliche as it sounds, we really are taking it one game at a time.
"We've set ourselves up for a good end of season, it's just about winning the games that people expect us to win."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Flanno fumes at shocking forward pass call in Dragons' loss to Canberra
Dragons coach Shane Flanagan was left fuming at a controversial forward pass call that denied Tyrell Sloan a hat-trick and ultimately proved the difference in his side's 28-24 loss to the Raiders. Sloan scored a classy double, but he was denied the first try of the game for a forward pass from Moses Suli that, at worst, looked flat and, at best, was well backwards. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer > Flanagan believes his side should have won the game and would have won if Sloan's first try had stood. 'I'm not going to talk about the list of injuries or the players who we have got out, I'm talking about the players that were out there,' Flanagan said. 'Whoever puts that jersey on just goes out and does the job and they did that tonight and I thought we should have won. 'Lucky the rules are changing in relation to press conferences because I'd be paying a fine.' A journalist pressed Flanagan on whether he was referring to the forward pass call that denied Sloan's try. 'You know exactly what it's about, everyone knows it's there, what was there and it's tough,' Flanagan said. 'When you're a side flying high like the Raiders, you probably see that they get the bounce of the ball and they deserve it because they're at the top of the table. 'And when you're where we're at in the middle of the table sometimes you feel that you just don't get the rub of the green, so it's a tough one and in the end that's the difference.' Sloan has been given permission to talk with rival clubs, but Flanagan admitted he showed how good he can be against the Raiders. 'That's what we know he can do, speed and finishing,' Flanagan said. 'There was another little moment there where I would have liked him to tidy up, which resulted in a try to the opposition, but he showed some real class to score two tries.' In an awkward moment, Flanagan was pressed on the Raiders fans booing his son Kyle Flanagan during his goal kicking, which caught the Dragons coach off-guard. 'Never heard it. What would the crowd be booing Kyle for?' Flanagan asked. 'Just kicking the conversion early in the game, they were quite passionate,' the journalist replied. 'I think they do that, so good on them, it's going to happen everywhere,' Flanagan said. Despite the loss Flanagan believes his side can be proud of their effort against the competition leaders. 'We're a proud club, we have a strong group, Canberra are a good side and we fought back and we should have won without a doubt,' Flanagan said. 'I thought everyone stepped up. I thought everyone had some moments, we had some not so good ones and we had some really good ones and we put ourselves in the game.' The loss means the Dragons sit 11th and are two points outside the top eight, but Flanagan challenged his side to show consistency with their effort and commitment. 'If we had that attitude and that commitment week in and week out, we're going to win a lot more games on the way home,' Flanagan said. 'So they're number one and we just need to roll that commitment over. 'We had a good win last week, we came down here and play the competition leaders and as I said could have, should have, would have won. 'We didn't because of a few things and I respect Ricky and the Raiders, they hung in there and that's what good sides do. But we just got to stick at it for the rest of the year.'
News.com.au
3 hours ago
- News.com.au
Goth basketballer wears full face of makeup for games
She's the black sheep of the game and she knows it. With a full face of make-up every time she takes to the basketball court, Goth athlete Caitlin Cunningham makes no apologies for being the standout. In fact, she relishes in the spotlight and hopes she is a role model for other aspiring athletes – or anyone too afraid to be their authentic selves. 'I've always had heavy eye shadow and a very black goth aesthetic every single game I've played in my life, that's just me, some people get it, some don't,' Cunningham told 'I've always just messed around with makeup. Then last season I did a bit of a crow, extended the eye lines out. I always thought it would be cool to have full clown makeup, but I guess this is the next level down. I have quietly extended it,' she said. How does she keep her artwork intact for the full two hours of play? 'I guess I'm lucky I have never been much of a sweater,' she said. Cunningham said being the odd one out wasn't always easy. 'I was definitely the black sheep of the sport. Basketball in Australia is very political. I was always the odd one out, misunderstood, the one the coaches didn't get. 'I wouldn't be selected, wouldn't be a favourite. It got to the point where I stopped playing WNBL for a while.' Drafted to the Canberra Capitals at 19 after three years at the Australian Institute of Sport, Cunningham moved to Adelaide then Dandenong in Victoria, gradually became 'sick and tired' of people not believing in her. 'I thought 'f**k this' and started going out and hanging out with music friends and friends in fashion, other creative people and I just stepped away from the game, I was 25,' she said. Once the pandemic hit, and imports couldn't enter the country, Cunningham had several coaches asking her to reconsider her retirement. She took a contract on the Gold Coast and is now signed to Rockhampton in central Queensland. 'My style of game? I'm quite tall and skinny and these days a lot of players are heavy and strong girls,' Cunningham said. 'I'm like a little rat that runs and jumps, my game is pure athleticism. 'I don't have the physical brute but I am very tricky, agile and I can shoot.' Cunningham has the balance just right – living in Melbourne where she is continuing her music career and is soon to release her first song, personal training clients and working with youth at the YMCA, then flies to Rockhampton for matches and training. 'I'm really lucky I am doing it all, following all my dreams,' she said. 'I want people to know they should follow their dreams, do what they love, be their authentic self,' she said. As her online fan base increases exponentially, Cunningham takes her job as a role model extremely seriously. 'I have so many fans and people reaching out to me as a player, but also as a musician and as a person,' she said. 'I'm a queer Goth and if I had that person on the internet to look up to when I was young I would have felt so seen. 'It's empowerment, that's what life is about, having people that inspire you to be you, and live the best life you can, that's priceless.'
ABC News
5 hours ago
- ABC News
Michael Maguire: "Welcome to Coaching!"
Brisbane made it 4 straight wins in the NRL in dramatic fashion to kick off round 18 fighting back from 18-0 down to win 22-18. This is right after 4 straight losses piled the pressure on coach Michael Maguire (25:16) But in response to being asked what he's done differently all Madge told Andrew Moore and the team was "Welcome to Coaching!". However he did say he's welcomed the return of Ezra Mam and still has more quality players to inject into his side. Also on Saturday NRL Luke Lewis and Billy Moore go head to head to discuss Origin 3 (2.46:04). You can also check in on the NSW Origin camp with Hudson Young (1.20:34) who explained that the Blues are getting even closer as a group on and off the field. From the Queensland camp Tom Dearden (1.36:58) explained what it like to prepare for a match when the series is on the line. And as part of the series looking back over the decades in Origin - Noel Cleal (2:15:59) joins Andrew to discuss the 1985 Blues win. You can also get all the latest Rugby League News - and speculation - in MC's Hammertime (46:48)
