BY DAN

The cadence of the Canberra Raiders season has continued it’s familiar cycle, with the announcement of the finalisation of a deal to keep Zac Hosking at the club to the end of the 2028 season.

It comes a week after announcing a deal was practically done, a few weeks after announcing negotiations starting, and a few more from identifying him as a target. It’s the same public process that has played out for Ethan Strange, Owen Pattie, Noah Martin and now Hosking. Kaeo Weekes and Simi Sasagi are a step or so back in the process, with Ata Mariota having completed step one. I’m not reporting Weekes, Sasagi, and Mariota are done deals, but far out it does look good doesn’t it?

This is an important signing. We covered off why here, but in short he offers a talent and flexibility. He can cover the entire backrow, offers both the ability to start or change the game off the bench, and is both excellent as a line-runner in attack, a weapon chasing a high ball, as well as a defensive workhorse. How often can you get a 94 percent tackle efficiency from someone who makes 30 plus tackles most weeks on the edge?

His ‘all things all the time’ aspect applies off the field too. It continues the process of locking in this years success for years to come. That will allow the Milk to build on the success of this year, something already burnished by a cohesion built over years. His utility value means that Canberra can be circumspect about how they adjust their roster over the years. Positions that are hard to fill, like backrow, are now depth. Change-of-pace locks, which teams try to fashion out of backs, are depth for the Raiders. It just frees up so much space in that top 30.

What would also suprise given his relative lack of experience, but he will likely be an important leader among the increasingly young group. Much has been made of the youth movement for this year’s Raiders. For 2026 Canberra is actually moving on some of the more experienced parts of its roster (Papalii, Fogarty, Levi, Harawira-Naera, as well as Pasami Saulo and Peter Taateo). The youth movement are being reinforced by a new wave coming in next year (Asomua, Clydesdale, Roddy, Patuki-Case). Hosking may not realise it, but he’s going to be a critical graybeard in the coming years.

Apart from finalising Weekes, Sasagi and Mariota, Canberra have two spots to fill over the coming months. One is obviously going to go to the one of “three or four halves” they’re looking at. Another might go to more experienced backs depth. They’ve flagged wanting to keep Bert Hopoate around the squad in some form, but if not him, the key there appears to be some depth in the outside backs. That doesn’t seem hard to get particularly when you’re not shopping at the Paris end of the market (ah! A Melbourne reference. How accessible!).

It’s easy business to do, and good business that got them into this situation. The Canberra Raiders 2025 season has been a success. But Zac Hosking’s signature, and those to come, are making sure the flame lit this year doesn’t burn out.

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