NRL Market Watch: Roosters, Knights in talks for immediate release of Dominic Young

Dominic Young’s 2024 move to the Roosters has taken a shock turn with massive implications for the opening round of the 2023 season.

Newcastle Knights winger Dominic Young.

The Sydney Roosters are in talks with the Newcastle Knights to get an immediate release for English winger Dominic Young to play in the opening round of the premiership against the Dolphins.

News Corp can reveal the Knights have asked to swap the English Test winger for a Roosters forward.

The Knights were keen on either Nat or Egan Butcher, which the Roosters have rejected.

There is now talk of the Roosters offering compensation with a transfer fee.

The Roosters signed wingers Corey Allan from the Bulldogs and Jaxson Paulo from the Rabbitohs during the off-season.

However they are desperately keen to add Young to their roster.

Young signed with the Roosters earlier this week from 2024 onwards.

He said he was committed to playing out his final year for the Knights before the two clubs began negotiations for a swap.

REVEALED: MONSTER OFFERS YOUNG SNUBBED TO JOIN ROOSTERS

Brent Read and Michael Carayannis

Newcastle threw more than $2 million at Dom Young in an attempt to keep the English flyer out of the clutches of their rivals.

News Corp understands that the Knights offer averaged out at more than $500,000 a season for the next four years, an indication of how committed they were to keeping the 21-year-old try scorer in the fold.

Sources close to the talks told News Corp that the Gold Coast had also offered upwards of $2 million but the Sydney Roosters ultimately held sway after News Corp revealed that Young’s camp informed clubs on Monday night that he was moving to Sydney next season.

The news was of most significance to the Knights, who invested their faith in Young and turned him into an international superstar.

Newcastle did everything they could to keep the 21-year-old – illustrated by their multimillion-dollar offer for him – but their attempts to sign him to a long-term deal came up short despite the club stretching their budget to convince him to stay.

Roosters-bound England international Dominic Young. Picture: Stu Forster/Getty Images

The Dolphins and Titans had also made big plays for Young but it wasn’t enough as the Roosters wheeled out their big guns as part of their bid to sign the England international – News Corp recent revealed that Roosters coach Trent Robinson wined and dined Young as part of their bid to sign him.

In the short term, Young shapes as a successor to Daniel Tupou on one wing – Tupou is off contract at the end of the season and yet to decide where his future lays.

Eventually, Young may make a move to the centres. The timing of his decision has left the 21-year-old facing an uncomfortable situation as Newcastle prepare to hold their official season launch on Tuesday.

Young was the first domino to fall as a handful of the game’s biggest names – led by Mitchell Moses and David Fifita – prepare to make a call on their playing futures over the next fortnight.

Young’s stocks soared in the wake of his performance at the World Cup, where he starred for an England side that qualified for the semi-finals.

Titans Dominic Young. NRL Imagery

David Fifita. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty

News Corp understands that the Queensland clubs were always considered outsiders in the battle for Young given the Roosters’ reputation in the player market and the Knights’ quiet confidence that he wants to stay.

While his future is expected to be resolved within days, Moses and Fifita along with Brisbane pair Herbie Farnworth and Thomas Flegler are expected to have their futures resolved before round one.

Moses is weighing up a big-money deal from the Wests Tigers while Fifita has been wooed by the Canberra Raiders. Flegler and Farnworth are believed to be in the sights of the Dolphins among others.

Originally published as NRL Market Watch: Roosters, Knights in talks for immediate release of Dominic Young