BY DAN

More positive news is coming from the Canberra Times in regards to the ongoing Battle of Perth, with reporting suggesting the Raiders are moving to lock in Zac Hosking for an additional two years. That would keep him with the club until the end of 2028.

This isn’t the first time we’ve told negotiations are beginning, and based on that and vibes it feels like this reporting is indicating the discussion is likely to resolve in a positive manner for the Milk and Hosking. This has always felt likely, not only based on the effectiveness and permanent role he has found with the club, but also the fiduciary investment the club had put into getting him here. All rumours are (and they’re always just rumours with the pay levels) that he’s on alright coin, and if Perth were to come knocking they were going to have to come correct. This will remove that possibility entirely. Alas for Perth I guess.

As we’ve noted a few times recently, that would put him on the same timeline as Owen Pattie, Ethan Strange, Ethan Sanders, Noah Martin, Savelio Tamale and I’m sure I’m forgetting others, who have all signed extensions recently (or in Tamale’s case, all but signed, according to the Times). Canberra have met the challenge of a new team coming into the competition and sort to lock down the key foundations of the medium term approach.

The reporting suggests that not only is Morgan Smithies next (something we’ve already been told) but also work is commencing to keep Simi Sasagi at the club even longer. That would be impressive. As we noted here, after the Noah Martin signature it potentially meant a player like Sasagi might look elsewhere for bigger minutes, opportunities and ultimately, money. If Canberra are able to keep him it will a substantial endorsement of what they’re building.

It will also imbue the roster with substantial flexibility going forward. In a league where most club’s are struggling to find more than one quality backrower, signing Hosking and Sasagi would effectively give them five backrowers (Young, Nicholson, Hosking, Sasagi, and Martin), with most of them able to play in the middle as well, or centres (in Sasagi and Hosking’s case).

If there is a risk, there is a possibilitty of the club huffing their own farts, or wheezing the juice so to speak. This season has been an outright success, and there’s a risk the Raiders are buying at the top of a market they’ve created. I get this fear, but think it’s ameliorated by two things.

Firstly it’s likely that market is only going to get more hot. Not to blow the Raiders’ horn, but the success of this team is now factored in, meaning this off-season people will come for their goodies regardless. Secondly the Raiders are mostly focused on locking in young players. The oldest by far is Hosking and he’d only be 31 by the end of this deal. Now those players may never meet the heights we are hoping for them (and to an extent that’s not possible), but the investment made now is hoping to reap it’s surplus value at the end of the deal. With the exception of Joe Tapine, the likelihood is that the longer the Raiders are paying players at their current rate, the greater the chance they’ll reap a windfall surplus value over the years.

If there’s an additional silver lining it’s that it also mitigates the loss of Joel Carbone. Canberra are increasingly baking in their long term roster. The new list manager’s job will be focused on continuing the good work of establishing the successful pathways that have already been created, and replenishing the talent within. That’s a tough job in terms of talent spotting, but it at least means whatever threat that poses won’t likely impact the ability of the current group to deliver what has been promised.

This is all further proof of Canberra’s impressive strategic focus. Put responsibility for that where you want, but it’s hard to argue with the results. The existential threat of expansion, combined with their over-performance in 2025 put a target on their roster. Canberra are doing a great job of ensuring the impact is minimal.

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