True Blue Hudson Young says he’s looking for a strong start to the 2025 NRL season to not only help the Canberra Raiders but his aspirations in the representative arena as well.
Young made his debut for the Westpac NSW Blues in 2023 playing two games and then was part of the Game One line-up in 2024.
“(Origin) is a goal every year to get there and although I played only one game last year I want to push for a good start this season and, fingers crossed, you never know what can happen,” Young told raiders.com.au
A Raiders legend in Laurie Daley returns to the NSW Blues this year as head coach, while another ‘Green Machine’ star in Immortal Mal Meninga gave Young his first Australian Test jumper.
Young was part of all three games for the Kangaroos in last October’s Pacific Championships, coming off the bench in the wins over Tonga and New Zealand and then starting in the second row in the final against the Kiwis.
“I had the time my life… it’s obviously the best thing I’ve done in my career,” Young said.
“I was so happy and fortunate to represent my country and the Canberra Raiders. Being able to do that at the highest level has always been a dream of mine.
“It’s made me want to work even harder to get back in there and play in those (representative) games. It’s everything you dream of as a kid.
“To come back here and share my experiences with the squad will hopefully make us a better team.”
The 26-year-old is about to enter his seventh NRL season with the Raiders, after celebrating his 100th game last year.
He scored 10 tries in 22 matches for Canberra in 2024, averaged 130 metres and 33 tackles a game, made 12 line-breaks and had five charge-downs.
