Former Huddersfield Giants youngster Dominic Young catches the eye with outstanding performance for Newcastle Knights

When young Englishmen make the move to go over to the NRL before they’ve really made an impression in Super League, many often scoff at the decision.

That’s especially the case for an outside back. Over the years, we’ve seen English forwards like the Burgess brothers, Gareth Ellis and John Bateman rip it up down under and even George Williams made an impression as a halfback in Australia.

However, we rarely see a back catch the eye down under. Even world class talents like Ryan Hall didn’t settle in the NRL for one reason or another. But it now seems Dominic Young is breaking that trend.

The former Huddersfield Giants back was already in the NRL’s top 10 fastest players last season and in Round One of the Australian competition put the rest of the league on notice with a superb performance.

Not only did he come up with a try saving tackle on huge winger Daniel Tupou but minutes later he produced an acrobatic finish to wrap up a 20-6 victory for his Newcastle Knights side against a fancied Sydney Roosters outfit.

For the tri-colours, it was a day to forget with former Catalans coach Trent Robinson losing two players within the first 55 minutes leaving them with 15 for much of the game prompting him to bemoan the new concussion rules post-match saying he was losing players with no symptoms.

Nonetheless, returning to Young, that was his sixth try in eight appearances in the NRL as he continues to show massive promise with a fantastic blend of power and pace.

Expected to represent Jamaica at the World Cup this year, perhaps Shaun Wane is keeping tabs on the former Huddersfield man. If he keeps producing performances like this, Wane simply has to try and include him in his England squad come October.

No doubt a joyful day for Young, it was less joyful for another English-born starlet in the NRL with 19-year-old Sam Walker on the losing side although he did grab two points with a penalty in the first half.

Son of former Leeds Rhinos player Ben Walker and subsequently born in Leeds, he’s one to keep an eye on for the future although it sadly seems he’s more likely to represent Australia than England.