NRL 2022: Zac Hosking completes incredible journey to become the face of the Baby Broncos

Zac Hosking was ready to give up his dream of playing in the NRL after calling local clubs in Newcastle for extra coin - then the Broncos rang.

The face of the modern day Baby Broncos was working part-time as a carpenter and calling local clubs in Newcastle for extra coin when Brisbane finally offered him the NRL lifeline he had dreamed of.

In a watershed moment for club and player, in front of Suncorp Stadium stands packed with Broncos legends from the 1992 premiership-winning side, Zac Hosking looked every bit an NRL starter on debut against the Dragons.

Plucked from Newcastle’s NSW Cup squad after back-to-back club Player of the Season honours, the Knights had no room in their cap for the 2021 NSW Cup Player of the Year but the Broncos did.

And Kevin Walters’ faith was repaid in spades by the 25-year-old son of former Manly cult hero David Hosking, with whom he shares the nickname ‘Mule’, in a debut to remember.

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Zac Hosking with his family and friends after his debut. NRL Imagery

Missing nine starters due to Origin and injury, the Broncos risked their resurgent season spiralling out of control with a loss to fellow finals hopefuls St George on Sunday afternoon.

Defeat would have meant three losses on the trot and teetering on the cusp of the top eight; instead the Hosking-led Broncos prevailed against all odds to move back into fifth and keep alive finals hopes that at season’s start looked a pipe dream.

Hosking was the standout forward on the field on Sunday, producing an incredible 80-minute performance that included 138 metres from 18 runs and 29 tackles.

“For a guy who hasn’t played in the NRL he was tremendous for us on that left edge tonight,” said coach Kevin Walters, who hailed Hosking’s perseverance.

But the man himself admitted that perseverance came close to waning, when he was coming off-contract at the Knights last season with no indication of an NRL future.

“I got to a point down in Newcastle there, I thought I was pretty over it to be honest,” Hosking said.

Brisbane debutant Zac Hosking. NRL Imagery

“There was a big part of me that thought it wasn’t going to happen. I started talking to some local league clubs in Newcastle to see how much money I could get – I was a bit greedy.

“And then I got a call from my manager to come up here, have a crack in pre-season on a train-and-trial and it’s really worked out.”

And what a time, place and moment to debut and prove your worth than in one of the Broncos’ most dogged and deserved underdog victories in modern memory.

“I’ve been dreaming of this day since I was a kid, since I first picked up a football, and I couldn’t have scripted it better than Sunday arvo at Suncorp Stadium for the Broncos,” Hosking said.

“In that second half I looked up at the clock and thought, ‘Oh Jesus, I’ve got 30 minutes to go here, I don’t know how I’m going to get through this’.

“It was definitely a step up, both the physicality and speed of the game, but it’s something I want to get used to and have more opportunity and I’m just indebted to the club for this opportunity.”

Reynolds’ bravery in face of illegal attacks

“He went missing last week in Townsville … but we got him back tonight” was Kevin Walters’ happy birthday message to Adam Reynolds after the Broncos skipper helped engineer one of Brisbane’s most memorable victories in recent memory.

A slap on the back and shared laugh between captain and coach absolved Reynolds of any demons he might have held from the loss to the Cowboys only eight days earlier, as Walters led the praise for his 32-year-old on-field general following the 32-18 win over the Dragons.

With nine first-team regulars missing through Origin and injury, Reynolds led the Baby Broncos to what shapes as a season-defining performance at Suncorp Stadium, snapping a two-game losing streak and returning Brisbane to within striking distance of the top four.

“A tremendous performance,” said Walters. “For so many guys to be unavailable, injured, Origin and whatnot, we didn’t make a big scene about it because we knew there were a lot of guys that had been waiting for this opportunity.

“We had a lot of younger guys out there but someone else had their birthday today (Reynolds) and he’s no baby.

Adam Reynolds copped some rough tactics from Tariq Sims.

“I thought he led us beautifully tonight. He’s back. He went missing last week in Townsville, we found him at the airport on the way home, but we got him back tonight.”

On a night set aside to celebrate 30 years since the 1992 premiership, and with much of that team watching from the stands, the Broncos produced a performance to make the club’s past greats proud.

“Most of these guys, the older boys, would give anything to run out in this particular (heritage) jersey (again) and our boys here tonight really did them proud with their performance and we’re building for better times ahead that’s for sure,” Walters said.

“We (past players) had our day in this jersey and it was great times and we won premierships, but what I’m really excited about is Adam and his team coming through. They have the same opportunity to get to wherever they want to get to (and) it’s up to them to get to where they want to go.”

Walters’ words put paid to two tough seasons of incredible toil, but the proud coach knows there is plenty more to be done.

Kotoni Staggs had a blinder for the Broncos (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

“I wasn’t really sure where we’d end up (this season) but I knew we had some really good signings; probably one of our best signings in however long in Adam,” Walters said.

“Kurt Capewell and Ryan James as well, those three in particular have been real guiding lights for us and dragged the Broncos back up to where we should be.

“Everyone at the club is working their butts off to get us back to where we need to get to and we’re not there yet … but we’re certainly in a lot better place now.”

Beyond Reynolds’ rebound performance, in a game where his injured ribs were targeted repeatedly by the Dragons, the skipper had plenty of unlikely support acts.

There was of course the class of Kotoni Staggs, who would consider himself unlucky not to be suiting up for the Blues on Wednesday night and proved as much with a two-try, 143-metre performance.

He was joined by 28-year-old journeyman Delouise Hoeter who, in just his second Broncos start and seven years after making his NRL debut for the Wests Tigers, nabbed his first and second career first-grade tries.

And in a week headlined by the 2023 return of Reece Walsh to Red Hill, fullback Tesi Niu put his name back in lights with a try and two assists alongside a match-leading 154 run metres.

But the night belonged to 25-year-old backrower Zac Hosking, who was tireless with an 80-minute performance on debut.

‘Mule’ looked anything but in his Broncos breakout, rumbling for 138 metres from 18 runs to go with 29 tackles.

“It’s a great sign for others that are battling away and trying to make it in the NRL that if you keep hold of your dreams, keep believing in yourself and keep working hard, some good things will happen to you and tonight Zac was outstanding,” said Walters.

“For a guy who hasn’t played in the NRL he was tremendous for us on that left edge tonight.”

Is this Brisbane’s greatest victory?

If there was any question this Broncos side is a different beast to that which managed just 10 wins in the two seasons previous, Sunday’s gritty 32-18 victory over the Dragons put those to bed.

With nine of its best 17 players out through injury and State of Origin duties, a Broncos skeleton crew served up a performance to remember at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday afternoon headlined by a career-best performance from stand-in No.1 Tesi Niu.

Helped along by dual sin bins to Dragons enforcer Tariq Sims, the Broncos played the numbers advantage in the first half and put the foot to the floor in the second, in a game that coach Kevin Walters can call on for confidence in the future.

With the 1992 premiership team watching on, the modern day baby Broncos snapped a two-game losing skid against all odds to move back into fifth spot on the NRL ladder and reinvigorate the post-season push.

Delouise Hoeter celebrates opening the scoring for Brisbane. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty

Happy birthday, skip

With 13 of the Broncos’ top 30 unavailable due to either Origin or injury, the weight of the world was on under fire birthday boy Adam Reynolds’ shoulders – and the Dragons knew it.

Just as the Cowboys had a week earlier, the Dragons looked to rough up Reynolds and test his mettle but the skipper wasn’t going to be caught out twice.

It took just three minutes for Sims to test the 32 year old’s recovering ribs with a late hit that sent the Dragons’ enforcer to the bin and the Broncos over for first points, when Hoeter marked his first NRL try on the ensuing play.

Next it was Andrew McCullough penalised for late pressure on the Reynolds kick, handing the Broncos prime field position. But the overt aggression appeared to pay dividends, with Reynolds twice caught looking for tacklers coming out of the line and forcing the error.

If the first half was a rattled Reynolds, the second was vintage. His mettle tested, Reynolds once again vindicated the Broncos’ pursuit of the veteran playmaker.

He moved the patchwork Broncos around the park with relative ease and had a key hand in each of the second-half tries that signalled party time at Suncorp Stadium.

Sims’ sins left to air

For 20 first-half minutes Tariq Sims watched proceedings from the sin bin, but many in attendance felt it should have been more.

The Broncos bench in particular was left scratching their heads after Sims was spared a sending off in lieu of a second stint in the sin bin.

“I’ll have to have a look at,” Dragons coach Anthony Griffin said of the Sims binnings.“ I thought we did a reasonable job to play the first half a man down for 20 minutes and come in four down, then we had the opportunity in the second half to build some pressure...but we threw it away ... We didn’t have a tactic to tackle [Reynolds] late or get someone in the sin bin. Like any half you want to take their time away.

“Unfortunately we gave away two or three penalties and copped 20 minutes in the sin bin for it but we certainly weren’t out there trying to foul him or attack him in any way.”

Brisbane’s 1992 premiership side was at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday. Picture: Brisbane Broncos

On each occasion Brisbane converted the numbers advantage into points on the scoreboard, but the question of whether Sims should have been allowed to return to the game for a second time remained.

That frustration would only have grown greater in the second half, when Cory Paix was assisted from the field after a head knock suffered going low in the tackle on a rampaging Sims.

Double delight for Delouise and co.

Seven years after his NRL debut, 28-year-old NRL journeyman Hoeter had a night to remember.

In just his second game of the season and ninth of a career he once thought might never get going, Hoeter scored the first try in either half as one of the many unlikely catalysts for the Broncos.

And in a week headlined by the return of Reece Walsh to Red Hill from next season, Tesi Niu produced his best performance in the No.1 this year.

Rejoining the first grade side for the first time since round six, Niu crossed for a try and had a hand in two more while rumbling for 154m and eight tackle busts.

Snubbed once again for New South Wales duty, Kotoni Staggs was equally impressive as one of the few regular A-graders available with a double of his own from 143m and three line breaks.