There was a strong changing-of-the-guard feel around England’s World Cup win over France on Saturday, as rising star Dom Young and record scorer Ryan Hall weighed in with two tries each.
Hall did what he has been doing all his life, with tries 36 and 37 of his England journey coming in just his 39th appearance, to bring up 300 for the heavyweight winger’s stellar career.
READ MORE:
Up until last month Young thought he would be playing on Jamaica’s wing, indeed they had already printed his training gear ready for collection at their base in Leeds.
A rapid rise up the ranks and a stunning debut against Fiji thrust the 21-year old giant into prominence, and he now boasts four tries in two England caps as the nation’s World Cup poster boy.
Laughs went round the post-match press conference in Bolton on Saturday night when veteran winger Hall was asked about the 13-year gulf between him and his protégé, who continues to steal the limelight on the other wing.
But in truth Hall, who won six Grand Finals in a Leeds Rhinos dynasty, is as excited about Young as every England fan.
“It’s great training with Dom, he is a young athlete at the moment who is still learning the game,” he says.
“He has obvious raw talent that he has displayed over 160 minutes so far in the World Cup, and he is just going to get better and better with age.
“He needs a bit of fine-tuning in a couple of areas but he has a very sponge-like brain at the moment and will absorb everything.”
Hall could be forgiven for feeling pushed out, with Young’s explosive emergence tying down the second wing spot that Hall has laid strong claims to and that was once his own, and St Helens’ ace Tommy Makinson a certainty on the other side.
But that could not be further from the truth.
Hall turns 35 next month and had accepted his England days had gone, only for another impressive season to yield this unexpected international swansong on home soil.
And thus it becomes a proper and heartfelt changing of the guard, with Hall keen to give Young all the tricks of the trade that his professional career has hoovered up.
Hall cryptically commented after the France game that “there is something that I need to work on with him” but was neither pressed by the media as to what that may be, nor would he elaborate.
Hall would later reveal to The Sportsman that he will work privately with Young on a mindset issue, something he believes can help turn England’s frightening young talent into one of the best wingers in world rugby league.
So as Hall’s international career heads towards its conclusion, helping Young progress to global stardom becomes something that would give him enormous pride.
“If he is professional as he has shown so far then I’m sure we will hear his name for years and years to come,” Hall adds.
“For him to be training with the group that he is, I’m sure he will pick up quite a few things which will be all the better for him.
“I think we will see his name for quite a few years to come.”
Young has scored 18 tries in 26 NRL games since moving to Newcastle Knights from Huddersfield as a teenager and is already attracting interest from clubs keen to tempt him back to Super League.
His sole focus now though is on improving a game he admits remains “raw” to the demands of international rugby league, and hopes this current run of thrilling form can help fire Shaun Wane’s side to a World Cup final.
*18+ | BeGambleAware | Odds Subject To Change
