'Dreamt of this': Bostock out to join elite club in daunting Origin debut
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Jack Bostock is embracing the daunting prospect of a Suncorp Stadium debut as he looks to become just the second NSW player to win a decider in Brisbane in his first Origin appearance.
The winger is looking to join teammate Mitchell Barnett as the only Blues to taste victory in a decider north of the border in their maiden State of Origin outing.
Barnett achieved the feat two years ago when NSW broke a 19-year drought with a thrilling 14-4 victory over the Maroons.
An all-time epic encounter
An Illawarra product, Bostock currently calls Brisbane home and is confident his familiarity with Suncorp Stadium will hold him in good stead on Wednesday night.
“I’ve dreamt of this ever since I’ve been watching footy,” Bostock told NRL.com. “It’s everyone’s dream when you’re playing rugby league, you want to play in the pinnacle.
“Coming into the squad [for Game Two] gave me the experience of what the game’s about and the build-up to the game. Sitting on the bench was good, but being out there starting this time, I’m keen to make an impact.
“I’ve played plenty of times at Suncorp and played in front of some big crowds there, this one will be different but I’m excited for it.”
Bostock will become the 22nd NSW player to make his Origin debut in a decider when he runs on to Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night.
Just four have enjoyed a win, with Tim Brasher prevailing in 1992, and Matt Cooper and Mark Gasnier helping the Blues topple Queensland in 2004. Those two victories happened in Sydney, with Barnett's 2024 triumph the only one in Brisbane.
A tall, athletic talent with fast feet and the ability to make defenders miss, Bostock’s playing style has been compared to Gasnier’s, while he joins Cooper on a long list of Illawarra products to represent their state.
While he grew up in Wollongong, and played junior football for the Shellharbour Stingrays, Bostock largely played outside the Steelers junior representative pathway until he was selected in the club’s SG Ball team in 2021.
In a cruel twist of fate for Dragons fans, it was while playing for the Steelers in 2022 when former Dolphins playmaker Sean O’Sullivan spotted the athletic outside back.
O’Sullivan was in town to watch a young Isaiya Katoa turn out for the Panthers, only for the playmaker to miss the match due to injury. Instead, it was Bostock who caught his eye and O’Sullivan quickly let his father, then Dolphins recruitment manager Peter O’Sullivan, know about the talented kid from Wollongong.
It wasn’t long before both youngsters had signed with the Dolphins and Bostock hasn’t looked back.
Jack Bostock named 2024 Dally M Rookie of the Year
“This is how it works out sometimes,” Bostock said. “There wasn’t room for me at the Dragons and the Dolphins came with an offer.
“Once they were there, my old man and my manager both thought it would be a good fit for me. We made the call and we got there straight away.”
Bostock’s debut comes after he was a late addition to the Blues Game Two squad when Casey McLean broke down in the lead up to the match.
The 22-year-old came on to the extended bench, with Mark Nawaqanitawase added to the starting side. Bostock was not used by Laurie Daley but the coach has opted for his height, speed and skill over the powerful carries offered by veteran Brian To’o for the decider.
Bostock will line up on a new-look left edge alongside centre Bradman Best opposite Queensland’s Rob Toia and Jojo Fifita. Dolphins teammates Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Selwyn Cobbo will be on the other side of the field.
Origin audition: Jack Bostock
The Blues have been honouring their triumphant 1996 squad throughout this series so it’s fitting another South Coast product, Rod Wishart, was on the wing for NSW for that campaign 30 years ago.
The Steelers legend has watched Bostock’s rise from afar and is confident the youngster has what it takes to thrive in the Origin arena.
“I knew of him coming through the Shellharbour ranks,” Wishart told NRL.com. “I’m sure Jack would’ve loved to stay down here but with the opportunity the Dolphins have given him, he’s taken it by the scruff of the neck and has produced some great football.
“He does have a bit of Mark Gasnier in the way he plays. He’s quite strong, he’s got pace, mobility and the aerial game. He’s an all-round player, if he’s on the wing he’s got the big body so can help the side coming off their own line.
“I’m sure he’ll grow a little bit more so whether he plays on the wing or in the centres, his catch and pass is good, defensively he’s strong. He’s got the versatility that he can probably slip into fullback in the future if need be as well.”
Don't miss a minute of the action when Queensland and NSW collide in an epic State of Origin decider. Live on Channel 9, 9Now and Watch NRL, Wednesday July 8.
