Dominic Young: Will England winger start Rugby League World Cup opener?

Young started his career at Huddersfield

Dominic Young is relatively unknown in England but by full-time on Friday in Salford, he was the name on everyone's lips.

The 21-year-old left Huddersfield Giants in 2020 because of a lack of opportunities and joined NRL side Newcastle Knights where he has scored 18 tries in 26 games.

Now he is translating that form to the national team, showcasing a debut full of skill, speed and athleticism as England swatted aside a depleted Fiji side 50-0 in their final warm-up game before the World Cup.

"I loved it out there," said man of the match Young. "It's been a while since I've been back in front of the England fans and my family as well. I loved it.

"It was a good performance by us. We know they're a big set of lads and they'd front up, but we did a great job and we were really clinical."

• Pick your England Rugby League World Cup team

• BBC to show all 61 Rugby League World Cup matches

• Sign up for live match notifications on the BBC Sport app

Young 'is a freak of nature'

Young stands at 6ft 7in and weighs in at 16st 12lb

Had the tournament taken place last year as planned, Young would have been in the Jamaica squad, but a call from boss Shaun Wane to represent the country of his birth rather than his heritage was one he could not turn down.

The decision meant he missed out on playing alongside his brother Alex on the international stage, but the Reggae Warriors' loss is England's gain.

The AJ Bell Stadium was barely half full for the contest, but those in attendance were able to witness a star showing from Young that will leave opposite number Mitieli Vulikijapani having nightmares.

Time and again the Fiji winger saw the 6ft 7in, 16st 12lb man mountain pumping his long legs and galloping towards him with ball in hand.

Young could have had the dream start with his first touch of the ball but fumbled close to the corner and did the same late on, but he managed to open the scoring by touching down with an acrobatic effort.

The flexibility he showed to keep the ball alive for Kallum Watkins' try was incredible, while he also showed his unselfish side by running clear and popping a pass off for George Williams to cross.

"I thought he did some really good things," said Wane. "I will always find something he can improve on. He carried the ball well and his skill was good. It was a great first game for him.

"That was his form with Newcastle, he has done some outstanding things with them and has aerial threat. He handled himself well.

"The thing that impressed me most is the carries and the yardage. He was a handful and that would have been troubling Fiji today. He has been great in camp and fitted in really well."

Stand-in skipper Williams said: "Dom was massive for us. He is unbelievable, a freak of nature. He is 6ft 7in, big, strong and fast.

"He was taking tough carries and making good metres. He set me up [for a try] so I owe him one."

Canberra Raiders forward Elliott Whitehead added: "Dom was great from the back with his carries but he has done that all year for Newcastle so I knew what he was going to bring to the side."

'I know my 13' - has Young done enough?

Selecting Young could mean leaving out Tommy Makinson or Ryan Hall

The big question now heading into next Saturday's World Cup opener against Samoa in Newcastle is whether Young has done enough to force himself into the starting line-up.

After the mid-season international against the Combined Nations All Stars in June, Wane said there were still "10 spots up for grabs" heading into the tournament.

But after Friday's game, the ex-Wigan Warriors boss told BBC Sport: "I know what my 13 is going to be. A couple more little headaches, which is good, but I have 24 fit men to pick from and they are all in decent form."

Wane clearly has a dilemma on how to fit Young into his side and if he is selected then it will have meant a former Golden Boot winner in Tommy Makinson of St Helens or England's all-time leading try scorer in Ryan Hall of Hull KR have been left out.

South Sydney Rabbitohs prop Tom Burgess, who will have faced Young in Australia, said: "Dom has had a really good season in the NRL. The size and speed of him, he is one of the best in the game I'd say now.

"He is obviously a young lad but he is a really good prospect and it was nice to see him in an England shirt."

Young himself is not short of confidence and suggested he may well have done enough to warrant selection for Samoa.

"I'm really excited," he said. "It's going to be a massive test, but to open a World Cup at home in front of all our fans in Newcastle. It's exciting and I can't wait to get out there."

• Do you throw away too much food? See how copying supermarket strategies could save you money

• Have a movie night tonight! Check out the star-studded collection of films on BBC iPlayer