Canberra Raiders back-rower Zac Hosking is reportedly poised to sign a new contract which will keep him out of the grasp of the NRL’s latest expansion teams, the Perth Bears and PNG 2028.
A key fixture of the Raiders forward pack over the past two seasons, which has seen him cement a starting spot in the back-row, Hosking has been able to take his game to a new level and formed a solid combination with the likes of Hudson Young, Joseph Tapine, Josh Papalii and Morgan Smithies.
Formerly with the Penrith Panthers and Brisbane Broncos, the 28-year-old has made 13 showings this year, which have seen him score four tries, make two line-breaks and three line-break assists, average 92 running metres per game and make 457 total tackles.
A late bloomer, he revealed in an interview that he had to “beg” his former side (Penrith Panthers) to release him early in the hope of new opportunities at the Green Machine.
“Canberra made a play for me before I signed with Penrith, and I nearly came but opted to go with Penrith,” Hosking said in 2024.
“When I became off-contract on November 1 they were pretty quick to come back in to try and get me again, straightaway I knew they really valued me.
“I had to weigh-up the options … this is certainly the best one; not just contract-wise but being able to play in the NRL every week as well and develop my game.
“I had to beg and ask if (Penrith) would let me go, so it took a while for that to happen.
“But luckily for me, they parked the business stuff and saw it from my perspective and let me go.”
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