It’s enough to bring a tear to any diehard Newcastle Knights fan.
At least half a dozen players with links to the Hunter are propelling the Canberra Raiders to the top of the NRL tree in 2025.
When the side runs onto GIO Stadium on Friday 8 August, to face the Manly Sea Eagles, four of the six “local” products – Tom Starling, Joseph Tapine, Hudson Young and Zac Hosking – will pack down in the forwards, while Simi Sasagi and Danny Levi have been named on an extended bench.
Imagine that contingent lining up for Newcastle, who sits in 14th on the ladder with 18 points.
But, instead, it’s Canberra – in the No. 1 spot – which is reaping all the benefits.
Former Central Newcastle Butcher Boy Zac Hosking with his proud parents.
For Hosking, the Central Newcastle Butcher Boys junior recently penned a new deal that will keep him in the nation’s capital until the end of 2028.
Following stints at the Knights, where he claimed the club’s NSW Cup Player of the Year honours twice, Brisbane Broncos and Penrith Panthers, he’s found a “home” at the Raiders.
“I’m glad it’s [contract] done,” he said.
“I can put that behind me now and focus on footy for the rest of the season.
“My partner and I are very happy… and just excited to see what the next three years holds.
“It’s my longest time, at the NRL level, with a club.
“And, for it to be with Canberra is unreal.
“The future is so bright and I feel like I’m here at the right time.
“We’ve got some leaders moving on at the end of the season, so hopefully it allows me to move into that leadership space, too.”
After a bumpy start at the Raiders, due to injury, Hosking admitted he “owed” coach Ricky “Sticky” Stuart.
“That was the other great incentive to stay,” he said.
“The loyalty that Sticky had shown me.
“I missed most of last year and a fair bit at the start of 2025.
“Sticky could have put a red line through me and explained to everyone I was injury-prone or whatever.
“But, I think he understood that I’d been pretty unlucky.
“So, I’m just grateful that he shared that faith in not only throwing me straight back in the team but extending my time here as well.”
CANBERRA’S HUNTER CONNECTION
Tom Starling
The gifted hooker won the Newcastle Knights’ Carlson Club-Andrew Johns Medal for best under-18 player in 2015.
He then captured the SG Ball Cup Player of the Year later that season.
From 2015 to 2017, Starling represented Newcastle’s National Youth Competition (NYC) team, too.
After alternating between the Knights’ Jersey Flegg and NSW Cup squads, he made his NRL debut against the St George Illawarra Dragons in 2018 before parting ways with the organisation.
Joseph Tapine
The block-busting front-rower, deemed one of the best in the world, joined Newcastle in 2013 on a one-year deal.
He then re-signed for a further three seasons, representing the NYC side.
Tapine went on to debut for the Knights in round nine, 2014, against the Panthers, playing a total of 20 matches in the Hunter.
He was also a member of the Newcastle NSW Cup team, which beat the Wyong Roos in the 2015 grand final.
After signing a contract with Canberra, the Knights granted him an early release in 2017.
He’s since gone on to play 211 games for the Raiders.
Hudson Young
The hard-working Maitland-born second-rower is well-known for being a Greta Branxton Colts junior.
But, he never took the field for Newcastle, linking up with Canberra early on.
Ironically, his first NRL appearance was against the Knights in 2019.
Following a couple of indiscretions, which resulted in lengthy suspensions, Young’s become a mainstay of the Raiders pack.
He’s now made 136 appearances for the Green Machine, earning NSW and Australian honours along the way.
Simi Sasagi
The Kiwi forward joined Newcastle in 2018, beginning his career with the SG Ball Cup outfit.
He then inked a deal with the Knights until the end of 2020, with an option for a further two seasons.
He trained with the first-grade squad as a development player, however injuries restricted his time with the Jersey Flegg side.
Sasagi was promoted to the Top 30 in 2021, gaining an NRL berth against the North Queensland Cowboys in round 11.
After gaining a release from Newcastle, he linked up with Canberra in 2024.
Danny Levi
The talented rake signed with the Knights midway through 2013 on a two-and-a-half-year contract.
From 2013 to 2015, he played for the NYC outfit, being named on the interchange bench in the 2014 NYC Team of the Year.
In round 15 of 2015, Levi made his NRL debut against the Cronulla Sharks but suffered a heartbreaking 30-28 loss.
He also represented Newcastle in the NSW Cup grand final, defeating the Roos, and the NRL State Championship final that same year.
Levi went on to play 83 games for the Knights before trying his hand at the Manly Sea Eagles (20 matches), Brisbane Broncos (9), Huddersfield Giants (in the English Super League) and, eventually, Raiders.
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