HE'S leaving Newcastle with a club record, and now Dominic Young might have a couple of Dally M awards to toss in his kitbag as well.
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The towering English import has been nominated in two categories - winger of the year and try of the year - for Wednesday's annual Dally M presentation night at Randwick Racecourse.
Young faces stiff competition from a hot field of wing nominees that comprises Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (Warriors), Jamayne Isaako (Dolphins), Brian To'o (Penrith), Selwyn Cobbo (Brisbane) and Ronaldo Mulitalo (Cronulla).
The 22-year-old flyer, who has signed to join the Sydney Roosters next year, scored an unprecedented 25 tries for Newcastle this season, shattering the former club record of 21 jointly held by ex-Kangaroos Akuila Uate and Timana Tahu.
Among a host of spectacular touchdowns was his remarkable last-round effort against St George Illawarra, when he appeared to defy gravity, and an attempted tackle by Dragons centre Mosese Suli, before planting the ball one-handed in the corner.
That try will be a short-priced favourite for the best this season. The other contenders were scored by Mathew Feagai (Dragons) and Sunia Turuva (Penrith).
Young will be joined by several of his Knights teammates at Wednesday night's function.
Skipper Kalyn Ponga is a candidate for fullback of the year, after being nominated along with Roosters skipper James Tedesco and Penrith's ultra-consistent Dylan Edwards.
Brisbane dynamo Reece Walsh is ineligible after receiving a mid-season suspension for verbally abusing a referee.
NSW Origin representative Bradman Best is a nominee for centre of the year, while veteran Tyson Frizell is in contention for back-rower of the year.
While Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson and Brisbane prop Payne Haas are the early favourites for the overall award, the Dally M gold medal, Ponga could be a bolter despite missing six regular-season games.
The 25-year-old was stood down for five weeks after he was concussed in round two, and then sat out the last-round win against the Dragons because of a shoulder injury. But during Newcastle's 10-game winning streak, he was regularly man of the match and would have banked a truckload of votes.
Surprisingly, Newcastle's Adam O'Brien was overlooked for the coach-of-the-season category, despite overseeing a dramatic improvement in all quantifiable areas.
The three coaches nominated were Andrew Webster (Warriors), Kevin Walters (Brisbane) and Ivan Cleary (Penrith).
Webster is a short-priced favourite after resurrecting the Warriors in his debut season as a head coach.
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