It's rare that the Wollongong faithful cheer on an opposition player at WIN Stadium. But they might make an exception on Saturday night.
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The Dolphins announced earlier this week that Steelers junior Jack Bostock will make his NRL debut on the wing for their round five clash with St George Illawarra.
It will be a proud moment for many Illawarra residents when he takes the field this weekend, but none more so than his parents Janelle and Josh Bostock.
"We're very proud of him and excited for him. And it's good to have his debut in his hometown - his dream has always been to debut at WIN Stadium," Janelle told the Mercury.
"He's been training really hard the last couple of years. He had a couple of setbacks in the earlier ages, and he had a shoulder operation and things like that, but he's worked hard to get to the position that he's in.
"I'm nervous for him but excited at the same time. We'll definitely be down there to watch him (at WIN Stadium), and I think there will probably be a lot of Dolphins fans as well as Dragons fans there to cheer on Jack."
Bostock grew up playing rugby league in the Illawarra, going through the Dragons junior development system and also representing the Steelers.
However, the Shell Cove teenager left the region in late 2022 after inking a three-year deal with the Dolphins. He originally signed a development contract with the NRL newcomers, but was upgraded to full-time earlier this year after impressing head coach Wayne Bennett in pre-season.
Janelle found out that her son was making her debut after the 19-year-old rang his parents, which was filmed and shared to the Dolphins' social media accounts on Tuesday night.
"Jack doesn't say too much, but he said he's learning from the best. He likes training with all of the boys and he's under one of the best coaches, so you can't ask for more than that," Janelle said.
"He didn't give me any heads up about that call, though I wish he had. I was actually taking my daughter to training, and she's learning to drive, so I was a bit stressed about that. And the phone call came through the car so I was trying to watch what she was doing and talk to him at the same time.
"It definitely caught me off guard, but I was very excited to hear that news from him."
Bostock was a standout for the Steelers in the SG Ball competition last year.
Glenn Buffolin, who coached the teen in 2022, said he was primed to play at the top level.
"It's really good for Jack. You can tell that he's obviously gone up there, worked hard and dedicated himself, and he's getting the reward for it," Buffolin said.
"I haven't seen him in person since he's left. And I know TV puts a bit of size on people, but you can tell that he's physically built up across his shoulders and chest. He's always had a good frame, but he just needed to fill out a bit more, which was always going to happen when you get to that age.
"He definitely looks ready to play in the NRL."
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Joshua Bartlett
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
