Off-contract at the end of next season and free to negotiate with rivals from November 1 this year, Hudson Young has finally spoken publicly about his future.
With the Perth Bears and PNG Chiefs joining the competition and both still on the hunt for a marquee forward, it has led the Canberra Raiders to waste no time in making sure their star forward does not hit the open market.
It was reported in May that contract negotiations were underway to lock down Young long-term, but over a month later, the 27-year-old has now broken his silence.
"I'm not too sure where my management and the club are at, but I let them take over that," Young told The Canberra Times.
"Yes, 100 per cent [I want to stay]. What the club have offered me, over the period they've turned me into an Australian player and into a New South Wales player, and I love playing for Ricky every week.
"I'm sure they'll sort all the back-end stuff out."
Currently, Young is on a contract worth $650,000 a season, signed in 2023.
But with his vast improvement as a player since then, his next contract could be much more lucrative.
According to The Canberra Times, Young's agent Sam Ayoub was in the nation's capital last weekend meeting with coach Ricky Stuart and club chief executive officer Don Furner to flesh out the Origin forward's new deal.
Young will line up for the Raiders on Friday against the third-placed Sydney Roosters in a huge clash for the struggling club, who are languishing in 12th.
