NSW Origin star urged to ‘sign the deal’ as he arrives for PNG tour
Canberra and NSW back-rower Hudson Young touched down in Port Moresby on Wednesday for a tour of the PNG Chiefs′ facilities.
The 28-year-old’s sneak peek into compound life comes as he considers whether to take up a tax-free $900,000-a-season deal with the NRL’s 19th club, which will enter the league in 2028.
Hudson Young touches down in Port Moresby. 9News
Young, whose 2026 season was ended by an Achilles rupture in July, was greeted in Port Moresby by Chiefs head coach Willie Peters, chief executive Lorna McPherson and general manager of football Michael Chammas.
He was joined on the trip by his manager Sam Ayoub, the father of Chiefs recruitment boss Liam Ayoub.
The Raiders last week pulled their offer for Young – a record four-year, $4.4 million deal – having grown fed up with the representative star’s failure to make a call on his future.
It was the richest playing contract ever offered in Raiders history but it wasn’t enough to make Young stay put.
The boom edge forward is contracted to Canberra until the end of 2027.
Former Panthers and Blues hard man Mark Geyer urged Young to sign with the Chiefs.
“Just get it done,” Geyer said on 2GB’s The Continuous Call Team on Wednesday.
“Look, he doesn’t want to be in the nation’s capital – that’s obvious, otherwise he would have re-signed. They (the Raiders) have offered him this mega deal, a million a year, and it’s dragged on so long the Raiders ripped it off the table.”
At the same time that Young is eyeing a potential move to PNG, gun Penrith back-rower Liam Martin – who is NSW teammates with Young – is in talks with Canberra.
“Hudson, just sign the deal, buddy,” Geyer added.
“Put everyone out of their misery.
“Then your ex-club has a better chance of signing Liam Martin. If you love the Raiders but you don’t want to be there, do the right thing by them and let them bring Liam Martin in.”
Speaking in September about the prospect of joining PNG, Young described it as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”.
“I just want to make sure that I’m comfortable with the decision I make, and that’s the reason why I’m going over there, just to suss it all out,” he said.
“It’s one of those things – I just want to see it for myself first. There’s been a lot of media around it and certain players going over there and saying certain things, so I just want to go over there and make the decision myself on what I feel.”
The Raiders appear to be open to Young leaving with a year to run on his contract.
“That’s up to Hudson and his management to ask for that, but I’d definitely look at it,” Raiders coach Ricky Stuart told The Canberra Times.
The Chiefs have so far signed seven players: Jarome Luai, Alex Johnston, Brian To’o, Zac Lomax, Matty Lees, Connor Watson and Joey Manu.
