Dominic Young’s future at Roosters in doubt with Newcastle Knights return a possibility

“But, you know, that’s the Roosters’ business, that’s what they do and how they do it is entirely on them.”

Adam O’Brien denied having any direct interaction with Young, stating, “No, not since he left actually. Maybe at the trial game at Gosford, I said G’day, but no, I haven’t had any correspondence. At the moment, as far as I know, he’s still a contracted Roosters player.”

Young has fond memories of Newcastle, where he scored 25 tries in 29 games during a successful stint with the Knights. O’Brien praised Young’s contributions, stating, “He brought a lot… He could finish a try, he was a popular member of the squad, he was happy and connected, him and [Dane Gagai] were great together.”

The Knights have cleared salary-cap space by releasing Will Pryce (Hull FC) and Sebastian Su’a (Dolphins), potentially facilitating a mid-season transfer for Young. However, any deal would depend on the Roosters’ willingness to pay out Young’s contract, with the club preparing to pay around $400,000 to move on big-name recruits Brandon Smith and Young.

The $400k figure Roosters will weigh up to shift big-money recruits

Negotiations between Smith’s camp and the Roosters have centered around the amount the Roosters will need to pay in order for Smith, still recovering from an ACL rupture, to join the Rabbitohs before June 30. The Rabbitohs have limited salary cap space to fit Smith in this season, and the Roosters have already paid Smith around $400,000 of his estimated $800,000 contract this season. Recent talks have centered on the two foundation clubs splitting the remainder of his 2025 wage to secure the 28-year-old early.