Hudson Young’s contract negotiations involving Canberra and the PNG Chiefs have been described as the “dumbest” one leading journalist has ever seen while another has questioned his loyalty to Ricky Stuart.

A special edition of NRL 360 will break down all the latest November 1 madness, including Sam Walker and Hudson Young. Catch the episode at 1pm AEDT on Fox League 502 and stream the episode on Kayo Sports.

Young was offered a deal by the Raiders but refused to sign, with speculation that the Chiefs were keen on offering him a tax-free deal worth $900,000 a season from 2028.

WHAT’S GAMBLING REALLY COSTING YOU? Set a deposit limit. For Free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.

In a bid to fight off the Chiefs, the Raiders offered Young a four-year, $4.4 million contract – the richest in club history.

But the Raiders, wanting to be in a position to offer another potential free agent a deal from November 1, decided on Monday to pull Young’s massive offer.

Foketi caught off guard by Walker news | 02:08

MORE NOV 1 NEWS

FULLBACKS: The November 1 verdict on all 12 off-contract fullbacks

News Corp journalist Peter Badel said on a special NRL 360 edition on Wednesday that Young’s dealings with Canberra were shockingly bad.

“This is the dumbest contractual decision I’ve ever seen,” Badel said.

“He has been given $1.1 million a year for four years, for a back-rower from his existing club.”

“Hudson Young is a very, very good player, he’s elite, he’s a rep player, no doubt about it. But the problem is the only other real competitive threat to the Raiders was PNG with their tax-free dollars. But my mail is he doesn’t really want to go and live in PNG.

“So if he doesn’t really want to go there, that negates them as a threat.

“Which Australian club is (now) going to pay him $1.1 million?”

The NRL has rated Young’s notional value at $1 million per season, but the Chiefs also won’t budge from their $900,000 offer.

It leaves Young in limbo because he can only go to a rival club if they offer him at least $1 million a season.

He’ll turn 29 next year and is on the long road to recovery from an Achillies injury.

“I think the Raiders in the end said, ‘we’re doing the best we can’ and they pulled the deal, so now I don’t know where he goes,” Badel said.

NRL 360 host Briath Anasta suggested that Young may want out of Canberra because he doesn’t think the current squad can win a premiership.

Minichello says Walker could stay | 01:18

Retired rugby league reporter Phil Rothfield felt Young should have repaid Raiders coach Ricky Stuart after he went into bat for him a number of times early in his career when suspended, once for a horrible act.

“Every single contract breakdown story is different. I’m not dirty necessarily on the money because I think he can make a lot more in PNG. What I’m dirty about is lack of loyalty,” Rothfield said.

“When Hudson Young was twice in strife over the (eye) gouging issue, he had early in his career, and mind you, he’s become a much better person since, I had Ricky Stuart on the phone saying ‘look after the kid, don’t go heavy, he’s just moved from Newcastle, he’s working with disadvantaged kids’.

“Ricky not only did that for him to become a better off-field human being, Ricky, in my opinion, also developed him from a very, very good second row forward to an Origin second rower and to an Australian Kangaroo second rower.”

Rothfield also revealed, to back up Anasta’s theory about Young not rating the Raiders squad, that there was a little bit of mail around Origin camp that he “wasn’t talking too complimentary about Canberra and their lack of middle forwards”.