The Canberra Raiders are set to kick off talks with Hudson Young in the coming weeks over a long-term contract extension.
Young has become one of the best - and more importantly most consistent - second-rowers in the NRL over the last 12 or so months.
While he formerly was known for the occasional discipline issue on field, Young has become a leader at the Raiders, and the second-rower will likely be a walk up starter for the NSW Blues when Laurie Daley named his squad for Game 1 of the 2026 State of Origin series on Monday morning.
Young is currently off-contract at the end of 2027, meaning he could hit the open market from November 1 if the Raiders don't manage to do a deal by then.
News Corp are reporting that he is now a priority for the club though, and talks are expected to start imminently.
It's unclear exactly what Young's value will be, but his contract will be in for a bump given his form and representative appearances in recent times.
It's understood the Raiders are hoping to be able to have Young sign a long-term contract which will go a long way towards making him a one-club player.
The star second-rower has played 149 NRL games for the Raiders since making his debut in 2019, while he also has 6 Origins for New South Wales and 5 Tests for Australia under his belt.
The Maitland-born forward is now viewed as a future captain of the Raiders, and coach Ricky Stuart has made no secret of his admiration for the star in recent times.
