DOMINIC Young's manager Michael Cincotta is set to meet with the Newcastle Knights on Friday as interest in the powerhouse winger heightens.
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Young is among 12 Knights players, headed by representative forwards Tyson Frizell and David Klemmer, who are free agents as of Tuesday and are permitted to sign with a rival club for 2024.
The 200cm try-scoring machine has starred for England at the World Cup and at least six clubs have expressed an interest in luring the 21-year-old away from Newcastle when his current deal expires at the end of season 2023.
"There is definitely plenty of interest in Dom and Newcastle is certainly one of those clubs," Cincotta told the Newcastle Herald.
"They are keen to keep him which is a good sign. I'm waiting for confirmation, but we are due to meet on Friday. We will see what they put in front of us, I guess."
Young is fresh from a breakout NRL season in which he scored 14 tries, saved plenty at the other end, and was clocked at at 37.3 km/h, one of the fastest in-game speeds registered.
He has carried that form onto the world stage.
After turning back an approach from Jamaica to play for England, Young has been the form finisher in the competition with eight four-pointers in three games.
England meet Papua New Guinea in the quarter-final on Sunday.
"It is nice that he is on the world stage and look at what he is doing," Cincotta said. "The initial price for Dom would have been very, very different pre World Cup."
Cincotta said the Knights had "mentioned loosely" that they wanted to keep Young long-term but "hadn't talked dollars".
Young joined the Knights from Huddersfield for three years in 2020. Cincotta anticipates his next deal will be a similar length.
"He has to find a balance between longevity and what the opportunity looks like," Cincotta said. "I'd be surprised if it is not two or three years, something of that nature. I will know a lot more in the next couple of weeks."
Of the 12 players the Knight have off contract, Bailey Hodgson is the only one not to have played NRL last season.
The November 1 deadline has also opened the way for the Knights to formerly approach players.
Luke Brooks, who has been linked to the club for 12 months, is among a host of top-line players on the market.
Meanwhile, the Knights have parted ways with assistant coach Eric Smith, who has returned to the Sunshine Coast for personal reasons.
Smith spent three years at the Knights, mainly working with the defence. His relationship with head coach Adam O'Brien extends back to their time together in the Melbourne Storm system.
His departure follows that of Willie Peters, who is coaching Hull Kingston Rovers in the Super League.
Englishman Brian McDermott will link with the Knights after the World Cup, where he with Fiji.
The Knights are yet to replace high performance manager Hayden Knowles, who left the club in August.
Pre-season started on Tuesday but the bulk of the top 30 will start later this month.
Free agents: Young, Frizell, Klemmer, Kurt Mann, Bailey Hodgson, Lachlan Fitzgibbon, Brodie Jones, Hymel Hunt, Enari Tuala, Chris Randall, Jack Johns, Adam Clune.
James Gardiner
James Gardiner, chief football and rugby writer at the Newcastle Herald.
James Gardiner, chief football and rugby writer at the Newcastle Herald.
