Hudson Young's been practising his grubbers all week he says with a cheeky grin.
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It would probably draw a wry smile from his NSW Blues teammate Tyson Frizell - given both he and Newcastle have been on the wrong end of a couple in the past.
Young's hoping to recapture that form that launched him onto the State of Origin stage in the first place. The match-winning, grubber-to-himself tries. The athleticism. The brutal power.
What better time than in the NRL elimination final against his old club, the Newcastle Knights, at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday.
Young played the opening two Origin games this year off the back of his rise to be one of the most potent second-rowers in the game.
![Raiders second-rower Hudson Young has been practising his grubbers this week. Picture Getty Images Raiders second-rower Hudson Young has been practising his grubbers this week. Picture Getty Images](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/reqbnGrLXyZFax2TwSi3Na/4cc749d0-a226-4d9a-919c-292e6d66228d.jpg/r0_185_3624_2231_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
He hoped something spectacular wouldn't be needed, when asked if he could draw on past moments against the Knights this weekend.
"I practised my grubber out there this week," Young said with a laugh.
"I guess that just happens. We've got a good squad here and we've trained really well this week so hopefully it doesn't have to come down to something [like that]."
![Knights co-captain Tyson Frizell knows what Young is capable of, having played State of Origin with him. Picture by Peter Lorimer Knights co-captain Tyson Frizell knows what Young is capable of, having played State of Origin with him. Picture by Peter Lorimer](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/reqbnGrLXyZFax2TwSi3Na/2ec78636-a21d-44a0-b5c6-4725a95a3c1d.JPG/r0_175_4368_2640_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Frizell was keen to test himself against Young, with the duo coming face to face on Sunday.
The Knights co-captain formed the Blues second row with Young in this year's opening two Origins.
That's where he got a close-up view of what Young was capable of.
That's if he needed one, having already been there last year when Young scored the winning try from his own grubber with less than 90 seconds remaining on the clock.
He also scored the leveller against the Knights in Newcastle later in the season as the Green Machine came back from 22-8 down at half-time to win.
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It was another grubber, this time out of dummy half, which he finished with an athletic dive.
"He's one of those guys that beat us last year right at the death with an individual try he scored," Frizell told The Canberra Times.
"I've a had bit to do with him now through Origin and he's a great player.
"He's such a competitor and he'll do anything to win.
"He's opposition you want to come up against and test yourself against in your career. and he's definitely a player that's one of their go-to men within the side so he's going to be a player that we look out for."
NRL ELIMINATION FINAL
Sunday: Canberra Raiders v Newcastle Knights at Newcastle, 4.05pm.
Raiders squad: 1. Jordan Rapana, 2. James Schiller, 3. Jack Wighton, 4. Matt Timoko, 5. Nick Cotric, 6. Matt Frawley, 7. Jamal Fogarty, 8. Ata Mariota, 9. Zac Woolford, 10. Joe Tapine, 11. Hudson Young, 12. Elliott Whitehead (c), 13. Hohepa Puru. Interchange: 14. Tom Starling, 15. Emre Guler, 16. Pasami Saulo, 17. Trey Mooney. Reserves: 18. Jarrod Croker (c), 19. Albert Hopoate.
Knights squad: 1. Kalyn Ponga (c), 2. Dominic Young, 3. Dane Gagai, 4. Bradman Best, 5. Greg Marzhew, 6. Tyson Gamble, 7. Jackson Hastings, 8. Jacob Saifiti, 9. Phoenix Crossland, 10. Leo Thompson, 11. Tyson Frizell (c), 12. Lachlan Fitzgibbon, 13. Adam Elliott. Interchange: 14. Kurt Mann, 15. Daniel Saifiti, 16. Jack Hetherington, 17. Mat Croker. Reserves: 18. Adam Clune, 20. Dylan Lucas.
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