Raiders to table Hudson Young revised four-year, $4.4 million deal

Canberra officials plan to sit down with Hudson Young next week to discuss a revised four-year, $4.4 million deal.

The Raiders had already put forward a three-year deal worth $3.3 million, which was the most lucrative contract the club has offered a player.

However, sources with knowledge of the situation not authorised to speak publicly confirmed the Raiders are determined to keep Young from going on the open market on November 1 by adding a fourth year to their offer.

The new deal would run until the end of 2031. By that point, Young will have spent 12 years in Canberra.

Earlier this year, Young was granted permission to visit Port Moresby and discuss a move to the Chiefs for the 2028 season and beyond.

The NRL newcomers were reportedly prepared to go to as high as $900,000 a season, with the tax concessions meaning the deal would be worth more than anything Young could earn at the Raiders or in Australia.

Young told reporters at the Brad Fittler Medal earlier this month that he would sign with the Raiders or Chiefs, provided he could broker a deal that was right for him and the club.

A few days later, the Chiefs’ interest cooled once they were told any deal would need to reflect Young’s notional value in their salary cap. Essentially, if they wanted to sign him for $900,000, they would still need to register him for his market value of $1.1 million, which was something they were not prepared to entertain.

The Raiders are eager to lock down Young, who missed the end of the season with a ruptured Achilles tendon.

Young this week posted photos on social media of him holidaying in Bali, and the Raiders will discuss the revised deal with him when he is home.

Englishman Matty Nicholson this week agreed to a three-year extension with the Raiders, while Tom Starling is closing in on a move to St Helens in the Super League, which means Daine Laurie is likely to be moulded into the club’s back-up dummy half behind Owen Pattie.

The Green Machine started the season with Pattie, Starling and Jayden Brailey as their No. 9 options. Brailey has since joined Wests Tigers.

Meanwhile, Penrith have not given up hope of extending one or two of their marquee men before November 1.

The club has commenced discussions with Nathan Cleary, Moses Leota, Issah Yeo and Liam Martin. Yeo this week spoke about his hopes of nailing down a new deal for “two to three years”.

Should Penrith progress to the grand final, they will have a week of clear air to broker any contracts before players depart for World Cup commitments.

Club sources said the fact that the Cup is in Australia would make it easier to negotiate with their stars.