The Canberra Raiders have upgraded their offer for their star back-rower Hudson Young in hopes that he will remain at the club beyond 2027.
This comes after developments in August, when the club offered Young a three-year deal worth $3.3 million
Young was also granted the opportunity to visit Papua New Guinea for one week as he was weighing up his future.
The club is 'determined' to extend Young and has been willing to add a fourth year to their offer, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
Young's new offer is now four years, $4.4 million until the end of the 2031 season.
PNG Chiefs had been willing to sign Young on $900,000 per season, including tax concessions.
The Chiefs' offer is more than anything Young could earn if he chooses to stay in Australia.
At the NSW Rugby League Awards night, Young said that he would sign with either the Raiders or the Chiefs and would make his choice if the right offer was tabled.
The NRL has since indicated to the Chiefs they would need to register a deal at $1.1 million, given his value was set by the Raiders.
Since that meeting, the NRL's 19th team is not willing to do that to sign Young.
Young injured his Achilles in July as the Raiders missed the finals after being minor premiers in 2025.
The NSW Blues star is currently on holiday in Bali, and the Raiders will meet with him when he returns to Australia.
Raiders have also offered Matty Nicholson a three-year extension that will keep him at the club until the end of 2030, according to SMH.
Tom Starling is expected to join newly appointed Kevin Walters at St Helens after the Manly Sea Eagles attempted to pursue him.
Starling was in the final year of his deal with the Raiders before he was told he could look elsewhere.
Don Furner, the Raiders CEO, spoke earlier in the month about their attempt to extend Young.
"Look, we're quietly confident...He's told us that it'll be either us or there, so I guess that gives us a 50-50 chance," he said on SEN's Kick Off.
Besides Young being off-contract at the end of 2027, the Raiders have seven other players unsigned in 2028 and beyond, including Ethan Sanders and Xavier Savage.
Hudson Young has made 155 appearances for the club and has been one of the Raiders' best despite being outside the top eight.
The back-rower is expected to return in 2027 as he has been undergoing a long recovery and rehabilitation process.
