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Growing up in the Hunter Valley, Hudson Young made the long trips down to Sydney and back to attend State of Origin matches.
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Sitting in the packed Olympic Park stadium, among a sea of mostly sky blue, the Greta Branxton Colts junior would marvel at the atmosphere, and intensity, of the games.
He would make the return trip up the F3 either a happy or disappointed Blue, returning to school to either brag to or cop it from rogue Queensland fans.
But with each trip, the then promising talent's mind would wonder what it might be like to represent his state on such a grand stage.
Now, when NSW host Queensland in tonight's series opener, the 25-year-old will finally understand.
"To be able run out there and do it with all the boys here in camp, and with all my family there, will be a really proud moment for my family," Young told ACM. "I've been to a few games, and ... you don't think you'll ever get there, but it just goes to show if you work hard, you can achieve whatever you set out."
Young, who has played his entire 108-game NRL career at Canberra, has returned to the Blues fold after two Origin appearances last year.
He debuted in Origin I at Adelaide and played game two in Brisbane, but missed the Sydney match.
Having got a taste of it, he was desperate to win a recall under new coach Michael Maguire. With seven tries in 11 games for Canberra, who have emerged as one of the NRL's surprise packets in 2024, he earned the NSW No.17 jersey. Young played 30 and 62 minutes in his two Origins last year and feels better prepared for his third.
"Any time after a debut, you get experience," he said.
"Going up and playing in Suncorp [Stadium], gaining that experience up there, I feel really prepared and confident that I can go out there and do my job."
Young, who spent time in the Knights' junior rep system, will be chasing his first Origin victory tonight after NSW lost last year's opening two games.
"Not only an Origin win, but a series win," he said.
"That's what we've set out here to do, and that's what we'll be striving to achieve."
With NSW carrying four forwards on the bench, Young has been earmarked as the player most likely to shift out wide should a back-line player suffer an injury.
Mostly used in the back row at Canberra, he said he was prepared to play wherever he was required.
"I do that plenty of weeks at Canberra anyway," Young, who has scored 40 NRL tries, said of potentially playing centre.
"When there is injuries, I shift out there. So it's nothing new to me."