BREAKING: Raiders’ hammer blow as superstar forward free to negotiate with rival
Canberra Raiders star Hudson Young has been granted permission to negotiate with the new NRL franchise, the Chiefs, for the 2028 season. This development follows Young's rejection of a contract extension with the Raiders.
Why it matters
The move signals a major shift in the NRL player market as the new franchise attempts to build a competitive roster.
NRL NRL-PREMIERSHIP Raiders’ hammer blow as superstar forward free to negotiate with rival Dogs battle illness ahead of Panthers | 00:54 Fox League from Fox Sports August 28th, 2026 3:39 pm Raiders and Blues star Hudson Young has reportedly been granted permission by Canberra to travel to Papua New Guinea next month and negotiate with the Chiefs.
In a bitter blow to the Raiders, Young will head to Port Moresby in September and is free to potentially work out a deal from 2028 according to CODE Sports.
Young has already turned down a club record $3.3 million contract extension from the Raiders and given that rejection and this latest development, Canberra are huge odds to hold onto the star back rower.
Brian To’o was recently given a one-week window by the Panthers to negotiate with the Chiefs and ended up signing a three-year-deal with the NRL’s 19th franchise.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in