Canberra star Hudson Young has revealed Ricky Stuart hired a comedian for Raiders HQ to lighten the mood after their heartbreaking finals loss to Brisbane.
The Raiders thought they had won at least twice during the golden point epic but after two calls were overturned, the Broncos fought back to win thanks to a Ben Hunt field goal.
It was a debilitating defeat and while the Raiders had a second chance, they would be bundled out in straight sets the following week by Cronulla.
Given the sombre mood around the club following the Broncos loss, Young told foxsports.com.au that Stuart surprised the playing group with a special guest.
“He got a comedian in,” Young said.
“He’s obviously a professional in the way that he does things Sticky and yeah we had a comedian come in three days after (the Broncos game) just to break the ice.”
While the 93 minute marathon took a lot out of both the Raiders and Broncos, Young wasn’t willing to blame it for the underwhelming display the following weekend against the Sharks.
“As players, it didn’t really feel like what everyone else was saying. Watching it and being apart of it are two different things. Being a part of it, you don’t realise the magnitude it had.
“We moved past it pretty quick and trained really well ahead of the Sharks clash. We were in a great spot up to halftime but for whatever reason, we didn’t play the Raiders style of footy and we ended up losing.”
The star back rower enjoyed his best season to date in 2025, helping the Raiders to a stunning minor premiership despite the club being pre-season favourites for the spoon.
Individually, Young was deservedly rewarded with State of Origin selection for NSW, an Australian jersey for the Ashes Tour and a spot in the Dally M Team of the Year.
Young has since had time to reflect Raiders’ stunning season, which saw them collect the minor premiership despite being pre-season favourites for the wooden spoon.
“As a team and individually I reflected on the year and the way I played and what I could have done better in those two finals games.
“We think as a team we have moved past it. We can’t be a victim to what happened. These things happen
“We need to be more hungry for success this year which everyone is. You can see it in their eyes. We want to win a comp this year.”
