Star England rugby league winger Dom Young is reportedly considering a cross-country move to the union.
The 6ft 7in 17 winger has been described as a “freak of nature” and has been a prolific try scorer in the NRL since the 23-year-old moved to Australia three years ago.
Joseph Sua’ali’i delivered a stunning performance for the Wallabies against England last weekend in his first rugby union match as an adult following a recent big money transfer from the 13-a-side game .
England and other teams around the world may now be looking for their own response to Sua’ali’i after his devastating impact and remarkably quick transition.
Young, who plays for the Sydney Roosters in the NRL, could top the list from an England perspective, with head coach Steve Borthwick seen as an admirer.
His unique combination of size, pace, finishing prowess and offloading ability would make him a formidable proposition and asset to union teams.
And Young’s agent revealed there had been interest from unions in the past and his player would be open to a move, if the offer was good.
“There has always been strong interest from rugby union in Dom,” said Michael Cincotta, of Crown Sports Management.
“There were some discussions before Dom started his NRL career. This is definitely something that will be considered at a later date if the opportunity arises. Dom is an exceptional athlete and would make a smooth change with his game-changing ability.
England have, however, had mixed results with rugby league converts in the past. World Cup winners Jason Robinson and Chris Ashton both enjoyed resounding success, but Sam Burgess, who arrived in the Union to great fanfare, quickly returned to the league after the disastrous 2015 World Cup campaign.
John Bentley, Andy Farrell, Kyle Eastmond, Joel Tomkins and Ben Te’o are among those who have played for England in union with varying degrees of success following their Championship careers.
Young left Huddersfield Giants to join the NRL as an unconfirmed teenager after just two first-team appearances. His first season in 2021 was hit or miss, but Young quickly began to realize his incredible potential as a stellar year in 2022 ended with nine tries for England at the World Cup.
Yorkshireman Young joined the Roosters on a four-year deal at the start of 2024 and played with Sua’ali’i, after completing a big-money move to the Roosters. This year, he has scored 20 tries in 22 matches.
“Dom has only scratched the surface of what he’s capable of,” Cincotta added. “If he moved to rugby union he would no doubt attract a lot of attention and spark increased interest in the sport. Dom is at the box office.
Young played for the England rugby league team in their recent test series victory over Samoa while his older brother, Alex, also plays for the Roosters but for Jamaica at international level.
Former Wigan winger Martin Offiah has identified Young and Dolphins center Herbie Farnworth as potential targets for Borthwick, citing his belief the NRL-based pair would go straight into the England side.
Offiah revealed that Borthwick was an admirer of Young in particular, stating that the England manager told him he would be his first choice out of all the current players in the league.
“I interviewed Steve Borthwick in the Twickenham dressing room before the Rugby World Cup and I asked him point blank: If there was a rugby league player, who would you take?,” Offiah said .
“Steve said ‘Dom Young’, and I think there were advances made towards him but they were rejected.
“Joseph Sua’ali’i’s ability to offload is a natural skill that is very transferable across leagues – as he showed on Saturday.
“Significantly, I think Dom Young and Herbie Farnworth undoubtedly have a skill set that would allow them to flourish in rugby union and play for England – Dom on the wing and Herbie at left. back or in the center.
“You could compare Young and Farnworth to Lote Tuqiri and Wendell Sailor.
“Even here in England, two of England’s greatest outside backs are rugby league converts: two former Wigan wingers, Jason Robinson and Chris Ashton.
“There’s definitely mileage in the prospect of Young and Farnworth crossing codes at some point.”