It took a phone call from master coach Wayne Bennett to begin lifting Jack Bostock out of the doldrums, but the Dolphins’ breakout star has no intention of returning the favour come Magic Round.
The Dolphins’ flyer has been a revelation since returning from a ruptured ACL suffered last year, and his form is expected to present his club with a daunting retention dilemma.
Bostock’s chance to return in his preferred centre position came due to Jake Averillo suffering a gruesome hand injury. He has shone with three tries and 186 running metres a game in two outings – wins against the Melbourne Storm and Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.
The 22-year-old had risen to become a lethal weapon on the wing, finishing 2024 as the Dally M Rookie of the Year and scoring nine tries in 14 games last year.
That was before he was helped off the field after sustaining damage to his ACL, MCL and meniscus in round 16 against Newcastle in Perth.
“It was obviously heartbreaking at the start,” Bostock said. “I cried like a little girl when I found out I’d done my ACL in the sheds. But after that, you just have to move on with life.
“There’s plenty more to life than footy, so you have to roll with the punches and keep moving on with it. I’m in a pretty good position here at the Dolphins – I’m still getting paid to come in and do my rehab.”
It was a call from Bennett – the man who gave him his NRL debut at the Dolphins – that ultimately helped Bostock get out of that initial funk, as he set about pursuing passions away from rugby league.
“He was just talking about life, really – getting on with life outside footy and to not be dwelling on my knee too much,” Bostock said of the conversation with Bennett, now at the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
“It’ll take over your life and eat you away, so worry about other things that you can control.”
Bostock returned home to Shellharbour, in NSW’s Illawarra region, where he watched family and friends play sport, and turned himself “into a little bit of a labourer” as he renovated a house.
“It was accepting it was pretty crappy to happen at the time it did,” he recalls.
“There were never really times I was worried about not coming back, I was always pretty confident. Especially with all the technology in the world – your knee’s just as strong, if not stronger, when you come back.”
He remembers the call from Bennett as a “nice surprise”, adding: “He’s not too good on his phone, so I’m surprised he actually found my number and called it.”
Bostock spent his time away gaining “a few extra kilos” in his bid to force his way off the wing and into the centres. It took just 10 minutes upon his comeback to show the fruits of those efforts.
Returning via the Queensland Cup with Redcliffe, he scored a double – with teammate Kodi Nikorima in attendance – in a telling declaration he had returned as a more threatening prospect.
The Dolphins’ Magic Round clash with the Rabbitohs on Friday night will be Bostock’s first chance to take on Bennett.
A match-up with Latrell Mitchell looms if the New South Wales weapon can recover from a back injury in time.
“Latrell’s been on fire this year, so it’ll be a good challenge for me and a good task to see how I’m up to with the top centres in the league,” Bostock said.
But Bostock’s unveiling as a quality centre could have ramifications for the Dolphins’ roster management.
He has emerged as a serious aerial threat, presenting halves Isaiya Katoa and Kodi Nikorima with a kick contest option, which had typically been reserved for fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow.
Averillo will face an uphill battle to reclaim his centre spot upon his comeback, despite his own impressive form. He has been used at five-eighth in the past, with current No.6 Nikorima also yet to secure his future.
Nikorima believed Bostock had been a “blessing” for the team, and proven he was a long-term centre.
“He’s full of energy and really locked down that centre spot,” Nikorima said.
“He was a little bit skinnier coming through, but he seemed to put on some weight and he looks a little bit stronger. The fact he’s still so young and has got some growth in his game, it’s a scary sight.
“You can see on his face he’s happy at the moment.”
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