Newcastle Knights head coach Adam O'Brien is eager for Dominic Young to make a decision on his future within the coming weeks, before the club kicks off their season in a fortnight.
Young is set to face Parramatta tonight in Newcastle's final trial, Young's first match since losing to Samoa in a World Cup semi-final three months ago.
Despite scoring nine tries in five games for England at the tournament, all the talk regarding Dom since has been about his future, with half the NRL chasing the speedster's signature for 2024.
The suitors are dropping off like flies after South Sydney and Canterbury withdrew their interest, leaving Newcastle to fight it out against the Dolphins and the Sydney Roosters for the two-metre flanker.
While Wayne Bennett certainly has a lure about him, it's believed to be a two-horse race between the Knights and Trent Robinson's Roosters, who made their pitch to Young over dinner in the past fortnight.
O'Brien believes the Englishman is a key part of the club, and hopes he re-signs with the red-and-blue.
"The club's in talks with his management and hopefully there's a decision sooner rather than later," O'Brien told The Newcastle Herald.
"I'd like to think everyone here is quite hopeful.
"We want to retain him.
"He is an important part of our club."
Newcastle have signed fellow Super League stars Kai Pearce-Paul and Will Pryce for 2024 and beyond, a potential carrot to dangle in front of Young during negotiations.
While neither have played in Australia before, this will be Young's third season living down under, playing just six NRL games in his maiden season before 20 first-grade appearances in a breakout 2022.
The head coach is adamant there's a lot more potential left in Dom, but is just keen to see what the winger can produce against Parramatta on the Central Coast.
"We've enjoyed developing him over the last couple of seasons and ... he is nowhere near his ceiling yet," O'Brien said.
"But first things first for me, I'm just worried about having a look at him tomorrow, at least in the first half and we'll see where he is at from there."
While securing his future within the next fortnight isn't a guarantee, Young's agent Michael Cincotta says that why they won't process, he and his client would "ideally we'd like to get it done as soon as possible".