Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Craig Albert Young | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1956-06-25)25 June 1956 (age 69)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 103.4 kg (16 st 4 lb)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Prop | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Coaching information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Education | Corrimal High School | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relatives | Dean Young (son) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Craig Young (born 25 June 1956) is an Australian former representativerugby league footballer for theAustralia national rugby league team, theNew South Wales Blues and a stalwart player over 11 seasons from 1977 to 1988 with theSt. George Dragons in theNSWRL premiership competition. He played as aprop-forward. His nickname was "Albert" after his middle name and/or the cartoon character Fat Albert.
Young was born inWollongong, New South Wales, Australia; and attendedCorrimal High School.[5]
Young had a strong grounding in the sport ofsoccer as a youngster and might have followed in his father's footsteps and turned professional (his father Bob Young represented Australia). His brother Warwick was a goalkeeper who played state league soccer for the Wollongong Wolves and for St George. At the age of 16, Craig was playing for Bellambi in theIllawarra soccer competition while he was also competing forCorrimal Cougars in rugby league. League eventually won the battle and Young was selected to tour Great Britain as anAustralian Schoolboys team in 1972.[6]
Young's signature was chased by several clubs but theSt. George Dragons eventually secured his services, and went on to become one of their greatest players. In his 1977 debut season coachHarry Bath claimed Young was destined for a great future and in that same year Young was instrumental in helping the Dragons take the premiership title, beating theParramatta Eels in the grand final.
In 1979, Young was awarded captaincy of the Dragons' side and at 22 years of age led the side to its 15th title. He captained the side through tougher times up till 1988 including the1985 Grand Final loss to theCanterbury Bulldogs.
In his final 1988 season he captained the Dragons when they won the mid-week1988 Panasonic Cup competition, beating theBalmain Tigers 16–8.
He was selected for the1978 Kangaroo Tour and played in all five Tests and eleven Tour matches. He was named "Player of the Tour".
He first represented forNew South Wales in 1979, making five appearances under the old selection rules. He was selected for theBlues in the first everState of Origin fixture in 1980 and made four further State of Origin appearances up till 1984.
In 1982 Young was named man-of-the-match in Australia's series-winning second test match against New Zealand.
On the 1982InvinciblesKangaroo tour Young played in five of the six Tests as well as six Tour matches. His final national representative selection was at theSydney Cricket Ground for the 1st test of the domesticAshes series against Great Britain in 1984.
Young took up a coaching role at the Dragons in 1989 for two seasons until he was replaced byBrian Smith at the beginning of the 1991 season. He returned to the Dragons' coaching staff as recruitment manager in 2003.[7]
Young along with his sons, Brad and Dean, own theUnanderra Hotel and Cabbage Tree Hotel. They purchased the Unanderra Hotel in 1991 (the year after Craig Young was sacked as coach of the Dragons) and The Cabbage Tree Hotel in 2008.
Since 2005, Young has had a role as team manager with the New South WalesBlues squads.[8]
Young is the father of former Dragons hookerDean Young, who played in the club's2010 premiership team and later coached the club in 2020.[9][10] Craig Young's wife Sharon died in 2016.[11]
Young was awarded Life Membership of theSt. George Dragons in 1988.[12]
While playing football, Young also served in theNew South Wales Police Force and in 2008, rugby league's centenary year in Australia, he was named at prop in a NSW PoliceTeam of the Century.[13]On 20 July 2022, Young was named in the St. George Dragons District Rugby League Clubs team of the century.[14]