England winger Dom Young ready to silence doubters on annual pilgrimage
For Dom Young, England camp has become an annual pilgrimage of sorts – a chance to swap the Australian sunshine for familiar faces, family catch-ups and a proper Sunday roast.
More than just rugby, international duty marks a welcome return to the comforts of home.
"I guess it's a nice free trip to see the family," joked the Wakefield native, back for his fourth straight autumn with England.
"I got just over a week back at home. I haven't seen my family for a while so it was nice to be back in the community, seeing my old mates and familiar faces.
"I miss the food here. I love a nice Sunday roast. The only issue with that is I need to watch what I'm eating when I'm coming into camp. All the foods I miss are probably not the best for you.
"But it's just nice to get back. You can't beat English people, the culture and the banter.
"It's always the highlight of the year coming back into camp with the boys."
Having done the rounds back where it all began, Young is now in business mode.
The Huddersfield Giants academy product has an appreciation of the task facing England in the Ashes thanks to five seasons in the NRL.
A prolific tryscorer throughout his time Down Under, Young faced the biggest test of his fledgling career earlier this year when he was dropped by Sydney Roosters and told he was free to leave.
The 24-year-old ended the season back at Newcastle Knights, just 18 months after departing for a lucrative four-year contract in Sydney.
"It's been a pretty tough year," said Young. "As a winger, it's tough playing in a team that's not winning games.
"But I haven't lost any confidence from it. I know what I can bring to the team and am still really confident in my ability.
"Every time I pull the England shirt on, I feel like I go to another level."
Young has the record to support that claim, scoring nine tries during the 2022 World Cup on home soil to announce himself on the international stage.
Despite being left at a crossroads earlier this year, a permanent return to England was never on his agenda.
Asked whether there was any interest from Super League clubs, Young replied with a smile: "My manager didn't tell me if there was.
"I had quite a few years still left on my contract in the NRL so it would have been hard to return to Super League. Who knows? Maybe one day.
"To be honest, I still feel like I'm at the peak of my powers and can have a big impact over there.
"I definitely wasn't ready to come back. I've still got big ambitions to achieve in the NRL.
"Robbo (Roosters head coach Trent Robinson) didn't want me to go but I needed to be playing. I'm happy to be back in Newcastle. I feel like that place brings the best out of me. When we had a full-strength team, I think I found my form.
"If people are doubting me, I'm excited to show how much I've got to give in this series."
That bullish mindset has been adopted by the entire England camp ahead of the first Ashes showdown since 2003.
Shaun Wane's side are clear underdogs against the formidable Kangaroos, winners of the previous 13 series.
Indeed, 1970 was the last time a team from these shores enjoyed series bragging rights over Australia.
The tourists boast star talent such as Reece Walsh, Nathan Cleary and Cameron Munster but England have quietly found a winning formula under Wane, whitewashing Tonga and Samoa in previous autumns to bounce back from their only competitive defeat in the 2022 World Cup semi-final.
While a three-match rubber against the best team in the world represents their toughest challenge yet, there is no inferiority complex.
"I feel like it's a common theme – us England players getting overlooked," said the towering Young, who will line up in the Wembley opener this afternoon.
"Every time we come into a series or a World Cup, it's always about how strong the other team looks compared to us.
"When you're in Australia, you hear them talking down about the English game. It'd be nice to show them what we're about.
"We don't really mind being in this situation because we thrive on the underdog mentality, as all English people do.
"Overlooking us is probably not the best thing to do because that's when we come to life. As a group, we feel really confident."