State of Origin 2023: Maroons on eye gouge alert as Hudson Young’s rap sheet revealed

NSW’s latest State of Origin villain is coming for the Maroons in Wednesday’s series opener, his reputation tainted by one of the lowest acts in rugby league.

Hudson Young has been suspended for eye gouging twice.

Get your eye goggles on, Queensland.

New South Wales’ latest Origin villain is coming for the Maroons, his reputation tainted by one of the lowest acts in rugby league.

Blues debutant enforcer Hudson Young is the serial, convicted eye-gouger that will be unleashed on Queensland in Wednesday night’s Origin series opener in Adelaide.

After being bullied into a series loss last year, the Blues are set to revert to more grubby tactics to rough-up the Maroons.

NSW coach Brad Fittler has picked noted nigglers Liam ‘Grub’ Martin, Tevita Pangai Jnr and Young as part of a new-look forward pack that’s intent on taking the fight to Queensland.

Former Broncos firebrand Pangai Jnr was famously labelled “the dumbest footballer on the planet” by even his own Brisbane fans after a string of suspensions led to his demise at the club.

Now he has a sky-blue partner-in-crime in Young, who has a history of brain explosions.

Hudson Young will make his Origin debut on Wednesday. Picture: Getty

None more so than in 2019, when the Canberra back-rower served a whopping 13 games worth of suspensions for multiple eye-gouging offences.

Young was hit with a five-match ban for eye-gouging Bulldogs forward Aidan Tolman before being hit with a whopping eight-match suspension later in the year for a similar incident with the Warriors’ Adam Pompey.

The Raiders were so angry at Hudson’s filthy acts – which saw him miss Canberra’s grand final loss to the Roosters – they threatened to sack him if he transgressed again.

Queensland famously celebrated last year’s series win by wearing champagne goggles over their eyes and they might need protection again if a fired-up Young loses the plot at Adelaide Oval.

Queensland selector Darren Lockyer warned the Maroons not to fight fire with fire if Young attempts to bully the defending Origin champions in the series opener.

Hudson Young eye gouge on Aiden Tolman. Picture: Fox Sports

“If Young tries to get under our skin, the best way to mitigate that is to keep your focus and win the game of footy,” Lockyer said.

“There’s no doubt Hudson is a competitor. He is tough and likes to get stuck in. He is a footballer and he definitely won’t be out of his depth at this level.

“You have to be aggressive, but if that’s a deliberate ploy from him (to rough-up Maroons players), then Queensland just have to know he is coming.

“Our style of play is the main priority.”

Young put the Maroons on notice earlier this week, warning he was prepared to retaliate if Queensland tried to intimidate him in his Origin debut.

“Words and niggle, they don’t really affect me,” he told Sydney media.

“I’m usually the one dishing it out, so I’ve learned how to cop it back a bit.

“It doesn’t worry me if Queensland try to give it to me. I might try something on, myself.”

Hudson Young with his hand in the face of Adam Pompey. Picture: AAP

Canberra chief executive Don Furner confirmed the Raiders were close to ripping up Young’s contract for his disgraceful eye-gouging antics.

“He was definitely a hothead,” Furner recalled ahead of Young’s Blues baptism in Origin I.

“He was given a fairly stern lecture from Ricky (Stuart, Canberra coach) about his conduct.

“Ricky told him he wouldn’t be here unless he changed. He didn’t need to do that to prove his toughness.

“I remember at one point saying to (former recruitment boss) Peter Mulholland, what are we doing here?

“But Pete had the ultimate faith in him.”

Queensland legend Corey Parker likes Young’s aggressive style and implored the Maroons to be ready for an onslaught from the Raiders back-rower.

“I love the fact that Hudson Young has been given an opportunity for a couple of reasons,” he said.

Hudson Young speaks at the judiciary after being an eight-game ban. Picture: AAP

“When you talk State of Origin, when NSW get their selections wrong, it’s on the basis of what Origin means to them.

“When you think about Hudson Young, where he was, where he has come from and where he is now, he is a battler.

“He hasn’t been the most talented kid or the biggest name around, but he has scrapped for everything. He competes on every play and that’s Origin.

“Yes, he has a bit of mongrel in him, so Queensland have to watch him. He won’t take a backward step, he will get stuck into the Maroons and that’s Origin. He will be coming for them and that’s the only way he knows.”

Furner praised Young’s fightback to become one of the most consistent back-rowers in the code.

“He was young and he learned his lesson,” he said. “The big thing for him was that all the players wanted to play beside him. That’s the biggest rap you can give any player. If you said to me back then that he was going to play Origin, I wouldn’t have believed you. But it is a fantastic reward for him and the hard work he has put in.”

Originally published as State of Origin 2023: Maroons on eye gouge alert as Hudson Young’s rap sheet revealed