NRL 2023: Zac Hosking and Corey Oates miss the grand final cut
Zac Hosking and Corey Oates are set to join the list of players to suffer grand final heartbreak even before a single minute of the decider has been played.
NRL
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One has been a mainstay for Penrith this season, the other a stalwart for Brisbane over the last decade.
But both the Panthers forward Zac Hosking and Broncos winger Corey Oates are set to taste grand final heartache after missing out on the 17-man squads set to run out onto Accor Stadium on Sunday night.
Former Newcastle premiership winner and Fox League host Matthew Johns said Hosking, in particular, would be feeling hard done by after playing 21 games this year.
“People would say ‘you would say that because you are mates’, but I feel so sorry for him not to be in 17 this week,” Johns said on The Matty Johns Podcast (listen below).
“
What I’d say is this, I’m not going to say it’s a dud decision because Ivan (Cleary) has made a pragmatic decision based on what he thinks will work but he’s got a reason to feel dudded given what he’s done this year.
“I’ll just leave it at that. I just really feel for him.”
After starting his Panthers career in NSW Cup, Hosking was called into the NRL side in round five after back rower Luke Garner suffered a rib injury. Not only did Hosking keep his spot, he kept Garner out of the side until round 16.
But coach Cleary made the shock selection call to axe Hosking ahead of last week’s preliminary final, preferring Scott Sorensen and Liam Martin on the edges with Garner on the bench.
Oates suffered a similar fate ahead of the finals series when Kevin Walters dropped the 28-year-old in favour of Jesse Arthurs on the left wing.
Arthars has now overtaken Oates in the pecking order after an injury-prone season limited him to just nine games this year.
Walters’ brutal axing has also robbed Oates of an opportunity to avenge Brisbane’s grand final loss to the Cowboys in 2015.
But there might be a silver lining for Hosking, in the form of a prized piece of finals jewellery.
Johns believes Cleary would make sure to recognise Hosking’s contribution to the club if Penrith lift the trophy in Sunday’s decider by sacrificing his own premiership ring.
“Here’s the ring, that’s what I think Ivan would do,” Johns said.
THE UNLUCKY GRAND FINAL SPECTATORS
BRYCE CARTWRIGHT
Parramatta forward Bryce Cartwright suffered double heart break in grand final week last year.
Not only did coach Brad Arthur axe Cartwright for Nathan Brown, a player who had been on the outer at the club, he then had to watch the Eels go down to his former club Penrith.
Cartwright had played in Parramatta’s preliminary win against North Queensland only for Arthur to pick Brown, who hadn’t been sighted since round 17, on the bench.
LATRELL MITCHELL
In 2021, Latrell Mitchell lost his cool and to many pundits South Sydney’s title chances with it. Mitchell missed the entire finals series after copping a six-game ban for an ugly tackle on former Roosters teammate Joey Manu which left the centre with a fractured cheek bone that required surgery and three metal plates being inserted into his face.
South Sydney ultimately went down to Penrith in the 2021 grand final but many believe the outcome would have been a different one if the Rabbitohs had Mitchell’s premiership winning experience and game breaking ability at their disposal in the decider.
ZANE TETEVANO
The former Roosters forward only played in one of the club’s back-to-back title wins but still has two premiership rings to show for it.
Coach Trent Robinson handed Tetevano his own 2019 premiership ringer after dropping the prop just before kick-off in the decider against the Canberra Raiders.
Tetevano played 24 games for the Tricolours that season but was forced to watch on from the stands after coach Robinson recalled captain Jake Friend, who had been out with for an extended period with a broken arm and calf injury.
CAMERON SMITH
Cameron Smith barely missed any games during his 430-game career but the Melbourne skipper was rubbed out from the biggest game of the year in 2008.
The Storm hooker was rubbed out of his side’s grand final win against Manly after he was slapped with a two-game ban for a grapple tackle on Brisbane’s Sam Thaiday in the semi finals.
It also left the coach Craig Bellamy and former CEO Brian Waldron out of pocket after questioning the integrity of the judiciary following Smith’s ban.
ISSAC LUKE
In 11 minutes, Issac Luke’s grand final dream was over. That’s all the time it took for the NRL’s judiciary panel to end Luke’s eight-year deal of playing in a grand final for South Sydney in 2014.
Luke was banned for a dangerous tackle on Roosters forward Sonny Bill Williams, who testified in the hooker’s favour.
South Sydney broke a 43-year title drought that year but with then rookie dummy-half Api Koroisau on the field, and Luke forced to watch from the sidelines.
MICK ENNIS
Former Canterbury hooker Michael Ennis prayed for a ‘miracle’ in a bid to play in the 2014 grand final against the Rabbitohs, but one never came.
Ennis was ruled out of the decider just 24 hours before the decider after succumbing to a foot injury suffered in the Bulldogs’ preliminary final win against the Panthers.
That fateful preliminary final would be the last game Ennis played for Canterbury before joining Cronulla in 2015.
STEVE PRICE
Canterbury great Steve Price ruled himself out only days before the 2004 grand final against the Roosters with a medial ligament injury.
While the former forward lifted the premiership trophy at full time, he did so wearing a crisp Bulldogs jersey and not one soiled with the dirt of battle in the decider.
In a touching gesture, then rookie Johnathan Thurston sacrificed his premiership ring to give to the much-loved captain.
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