3 weeks ago
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Canberra star Hudson Young has spoken for the first time since being sin-binned after being headbutted by Reece Walsh, vowing to continue to get in the face of opponents even if it means he is “going to pay the price”.
The Raiders remain in disbelief that Young was sent from the field for 10 minutes, despite him being the victim of foul play. The NSW and Australian forward received the same on-field punishment as Walsh, who also escaped suspension after instead accepting the $3000 fine that comes with a grade-one striking charge.
Brisbane’s 29-28 extra-time win will go down as one of the great finals games, with most of the fallout focusing on the Walsh incident.
Speaking about the drama, Young said he would continue to bait opponents.
“It’s just the way that I play the game,” Young said.
“I like getting into players, and players give it back as well. Obviously, I wasn’t expecting to be headbutted. But I guess, sometimes, when you do get in people’s faces, sometimes, you’re going to pay the price, and I got headbutted. And so what?”
Reece Walsh was sin binned for a headbutt on Hudson Young.Credit: Fox Sports
Young said he didn’t utter a word to the Broncos fullback before the headbutt.
“I didn’t say anything to him. I was just sort of laughing that they made a mistake,” Young said.
“We celebrate those little moments down here, that’s our culture, and that’s how we play the game. We celebrate moments, and that’s all I was doing.”
Most commentators felt Young did nothing to warrant a sin bin, but the Raiders enforcer still feels there are lessons from the incident.
“As a player, you look back, reflect, and see what I could have done in that situation,” Young said.
“I probably just need to keep my distance if I’m going to say something, but it’s just the heat of the battle.
“It’s hard to sit back and say what you can and can’t do, clicking with a mouse or pausing the TV, because once you’re in the heat of the battle, everything changes.
“That’s why we love playing.”
Hudson Young scores a try against Brisbane on Sunday.Credit: Getty Images
In a game with so many turning points, the decision to bin Young - and not to send Walsh off altogether - was a critical moment. However, the Raiders forward wasn’t using it as an excuse for the loss.
“Obviously, I’ve got my thoughts around it and everyone’s got their thoughts as well,” he said.
“But the refs made their decision, the bunker made their decision, and we need to respect that.
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“I don’t think it had any influence on the game. We went up to 28 to 12 when I was off the field, so yeah, there’s no excuse as to why we lost.
“We need to do better as players, take accountability for that, and look forward.”
There remains the prospect of a rematch between the Raiders and Broncos if both sides can win their way into the grand final. Young would love a chance to gain revenge.
“Yeah, it’d be awesome,” he said. “It was obviously a great game, a great spectacle for rugby league for fans to sit back and watch.
“I feel like if we can get another shot at them in a grand final, it will go down as one of the greatest.”
Asked if he would again try to bait Walsh, Young smiled: “Only if I can catch him.”
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