Canberra forward Hudson Young has bolted his way into the NSW Blues lineup for the State of Origin opener - but it won't come as a surprise to anyone that has followed his career closely.
The 24-year-old has been in tremendous form for the Raiders this season, crossing for five tries and averaging over 100 run metres per game, while many have described him as a player built for the Origin arena.
Andrew Johns publicly sung the praises of Young in the lead-up to team selections, while his club coach Ricky Stuart hasn't made any effort to hide his love for the hard-nosed enforcer.
Young will start in the No.12 jumper for NSW in the series opener in Adelaide on May 31st, continuing a career trajectory that is likely to lead to further representative honours.
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Who is Hudson Young?
Young is a second-rower or lock who plays for the Canberra Raiders, playing 83 first grade games for the club since making his debut in 2019.
He is of Ukrainian descent and grew up in the Maitland region, playing his junior rugby league for Greta Branxton Colts before moving down to the nation's capital.
While his progression over the past 12 months has been a long time coming, Young had a tough start to his NRL career and was nearly sacked by the Raiders following a string of on-field indiscretions.
Young was charged for two separate eye gouging incidents in 2019 and spent a total of 13 matches on the sidelines, leading to a stern ultimatum from the coaching staff in Canberra.
But since fixing his disciplinary issues, Young has become a staple of the Green Machine, locking down the edge-forward spot in recent years and scoring 29 tries in 83 appearances.
Speaking to the media on Monday, Young said the journey towards an Origin debut has ignited his career.
“It’s a pretty crazy journey to end up here, obviously through hard work and determination you can achieve it," he said.
"It’s obviously huge, you dream as a kid to put on the Blues jersey and I grew up in an era where they dominated.
"It’s definitely lit a fire inside me and something I can’t wait to go out and do."
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Who does Hudson Young play for?
Young plays for the Canberra Raiders as a second-rower.
Hudson Young 2023 stats
| Games | 11 |
| Tries | 5 |
| Linebreaks | 3 |
| Linebreak Assists | 2 |
| Offloads | 22 |
| Avg. Run Metres | 103m |
| Avg. Tackles | 28 |
| Tackle Efficiency | 89% |
