BY DAN

On Friday night Zac Hosking will play his 50th NRL game for his fourth club. In the same game Kaeo Weekes will also bring up the half century, raising his bat for the second club he’s played for. Both a proof that there is more to the Raiders development plans than just signing young stars. They can also make them.

Hosking could have been anyone’s. He started with the Knights. Did a job in limited opportunities for the Broncos, was a do it man for the Panthers. In a world where everyone wants to sign the Penrith off-cuts he’s been the most successful of the non-franchise players signed. Canberra came correct to get him. It wasn’t a deal done on the cheap. They reportedly came with money so big that Hosking couldn’t believe it, and begged Ivan Cleary for an immediate release so he could get paid that life changing cash.

But that investment has paid off in spades. Canberra have found a player that can cover edge with excellence, and play game-changing minutes through the middle. At one point before an injury last year he was leading the Dally M voting. He’s proven his worth repeatedly, allowing the Raiders to adjust for a host of problems from injury to rep duty to just needing someone that can make 40 plus tackles in the middle on the edge. Somehow he’s too fast for the big buys and too big for the backrowers. He’s been so good they’ve upgraded his deal before the Bears could come get exactly who they needed.

What has made Hosking great, or more accurately how he’s traversed from journeyman to quality starter, is a problem of proof and attribution. We can guess the improvements that have been made but what is clear it’s that the opportunity to realise talents only he and the Raiders evidently knew he had were a big part of it.

Kaeo Weekes similarly could have been anyone’s. Manly didn’t seem to want him. They had Tommy Terrific and Levi Hopoate. Canberra didn’t reapply even have to fight for him. Besides, what was Weekes anyway. We didn’t know. He seemed athletic. Too small for the front line, but unclear if he’d have the relevant skills for the custodian role. And what was the upside? After all the Raiders had Chevy Stewart in the line up. How would all this play out?

Only by having arguably the best debut season at fullback since Brett Mullins. Speed so hot it makes your eyes dilate like Requiem for a Dream. If he gets the ball in space it’s like realising you got that toy you wanted for your birthday. You’re giddy before you even see the results.

But he’s also improving in so many ways. Jamal Fogarty spoke of his importance in defensive organisation. His role in shifts on the right has been critical as is the mere threat of his existence – gravity a la Steph Curry. Even his weakness – the high ball – feels safer than it did earlier in the season. If if he can keep improving at this rate *faints*.

Weekes has been so good they’ve upgraded his deal to a substantial outlay, including something close the 900k at the back end of the contract. Like Hosking he’s not cheap. If he’s a star they’ll be playing star money for him. Like Hosking all it took was an opportunity, and a style of footy that he’s loved since he got here.

That’s a noteworthy strength of this side. We’ve harped on their ability to find young talent like Ethan Strange, Owen Pattie, Noah Martin, Ethan Sanders or Savelio Tamale. These players are all critical, and will continue to be so. They are stars of the future that everyone wanted, and for reasons ranging from dumb luck, to local knowledge, to the Dragons being collectively fucked in the head, they were able to pounce on.

But Canberra have also made stars. Not so much out some magical development approach. Rather players that they identified as better than their role and bet big on. The Milk have been able to turn fringe first graders into real players. Hosking and Weekes aren’t the only ones. Simi Sasagi fits the mould. You might argue Tom Starling is similar, and Joe Tapine even the 1.0 version of them all. Sometimes that’s how the Raiders have

To quote reader Tim D, who raised this earlier in the week, jumping into my DMs to tell me a few facts as he is wont to do.

This is a comment about fans wanting to buy every big name that comes up for sale and therefore missing out on the diamonds in the rough….we are building a team, not collecting talent

Hosking and Weekes are definitely diamonds. They weren’t bought at the top of the market, but rather discovered. Perhaps it just they were given a chance, put in the right spots with the right people around them. Perhaps Canberra have an ability to see what others don’t. It’s probably both. As Tim noted, this is a team that is being built. The talent they’re collecting is sometimes only some they can see.

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