Raiders 'couldn't have offered any more' to want-away Hudson Young
Ricky Stuart said he understands why backrower Hudson Young may want to leave the Canberra Raiders, but it didn't make him take it any less personally.
The Canberra Raiders withdrew an offer of $1.1 million per year to playmaker Hudson Young, as the Blues forward expressed his desire to seek out opportunities in Papua New Guinea. Coach Ricky Stuart revealed that the Raiders had extended the highest offer in their club history, but felt they had pushed the limits in doing so, stating, "We couldn't have offered Hudson any more."
Young traveled to Port Moresby to explore a potential move to the PNG Chiefs, who had already offered him $900,000 per year, a tax-free package that would have significantly outpaced the Raiders' offer. ARLC chairman Peter Vandals said that players can challenge their official market value, and the Raiders had presented Young with the maximum they could provide.
The coach emphasized that the decision was ultimately up to Young's management, but lamented the complex rules surrounding players signing with a new club 12 months in advance. Stuart acknowledged that players have the right to seek better opportunities but lamented the "messy" process that allowed for such unexpected departures.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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