Dominic Young's manager says there is "every chance" the Knights winger will extend his stay in Newcastle but the Englishman is yet to consider all of his options.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Young, 21, returned to Knights training this week - the last NRL regular to do so - after an off-season break in Europe following the World Cup late last year.
A breakout star for England, Young's stocks rose throughout the tournament as he scored a staggering nine tries in five games.
He had already caught the attention of other NRL clubs before the World Cup after a standout season with the Knights, in which he bagged 14 tries in 20 appearances.
But a total of nine clubs have now expressed interest in signing the outside-back, who is off-contract at the end of this year.
Young's manager Michael Cincotta told the Newcastle Herald on Wednesday he was yet to explore all options with his client and was seeking a revised offer from the Knights.
But he gave what might be the strongest indication yet that Young is interested in staying at Broadmeadow beyond 2023.
"He's got a good relationship there, so there's no reason to leave," Cincotta said.
"He's got a lot of his friends there and has obviously settled in really well and come off a good year.
"There's every chance that he stays, but I'm just going through the process of making sure we look at all options while we can."
One of 10 players in Newcastle's top-30 roster who are off-contract in 2023, Young tops the list of retention priorities.
Knights director of football Peter Parr said the club would look to resume talks this week regarding an extension for Young.
"We'll be doing everything we can to keep him at the club," Parr told the Herald.
Potentially working in Newcastle's favour to retain Young is their recruitment of his countrymen Will Pryce and Kai Pearce-Paul, who are signed on deals commencing 2024.
Young and Pearce-Paul were teammates at the World Cup and holidayed together afterwards. The impending arrival of the English rookies will likely have some influence on Young's decision, his manager said.
"That has to come into the equation," Cincotta said. "They're coming because Dom is there, so that's got to have some weighting.
"But they've also seen what Dom has been able to do from afar and are keen to replicate that themselves.
"I know that those guys are keen to get there because of Dom, so I guess they're probably interested in playing with Dom."
Cincotta said Young was focused on training while contract negotiations progressed.
"We'd like to get things done sooner rather than later, just so Dom's clear and can focus even more," he said. "It's not something we want to rush but ideally we'd like to get it done as soon as possible."
IN THE NEWS:
WHAT DO YOU THINK? We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on the Newcastle Herald website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. Sign up for a subscription here.
