Young ready to make call on future as rivals circle

Knights winger Dom Young hopes to have his future in the NRL sorted by the competition’s kick-off next month and admits being courted by rival clubs has been a flattering proposition.

Young made a return to the field for the first time on Friday afternoon after a stellar 2022 season which saw him make his international debut for England at the World Cup.

The 21-year-old arrived to Newcastle in 2021 after making his Super League debut at 17 and has attracted the attention of several clubs as he weighs up his future.  

Young has met with Roosters coach Trent Robinson while South Sydney and Canterbury have also shown an interest in the winger.

“It’s a nice feeling to get recognised by some top clubs, especially coming from where I came from,” Young said.

“I only really had a big year last year and obviously off the back of the World Cup too, but it’s pretty exciting.”

Asked where he wanted to be in 2024, he added, “I think a place where I’m going to be happy, where I can enjoy my footy, like I have been doing here.”

Robinson was in the stands on Friday on the Central Coast when Young went close to scoring a blistering try on half-time and it’s no secret the Roosters have plenty of upside for Young.

“I don’t want to talk too much about it while I’m still signed with the Knights, I want to be respectful towards them and to the boys there but like I said hopefully I can get it sorted soon,” he responded when asked about the Roosters.

“It’s not too stressful at the minute, I’m just leaving it up to my management and hopefully I can get it sorted soon.

“I guess my family [will help decide], my dad is pretty involved in all my decision making, my mum as well.

“They’ve always given me the best advice in life and I haven’t gone too far wrong by listening to them, so I’ll definitely be doing that.”

Regardless of where he lands, Young wants to build on last year's efforts after finishing the year as a standout for England at the World Cup.

“I took a lot from that, just a lot of experienced boys in there just seeing how they get through their days and how professional they are, but also just playing with them in front of English crowds in the stadiums and those big games, it’s something I can take towards this season hopefully," Young said.

"There’s a few details there as well that I can obviously pick up on, but the mentality, that’s something I’ve wanted to work on and perfect, just being a new player in the NRL, it’s something I want to master and I picked up a few tips there."