Hilton Chesterson
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Newcastle's faithful are thrilled about Hilton Chesterson. The young back-rower bolts through defensive lines, pops clever off-loads and crunches ball carriers, giving the Knights the punch they craved. Under Adam O'Brien and Kalyn Ponga, the Hunter club has found its new heart in the middle third.
Singleton born, Chesterson first stood out at Maitland Pickers, later winning a scholarship to St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill. At sixteen he joined Newcastle's development system, racing through SG Ball and NSW Cup. He announced himself in a 2024 preseason trial against Cronulla by flattening veteran prop Braden Hamlin-Uele with a bone-rattling shot that went viral. Come Round 3, 2025, he was starting in jersey 11 for the full 80.
The numbers confirm the eye test. He posts 102 metres, read more 35 tackles and a 93 percent efficiency every week, plus three busts. Four tries are on the board, one a dazzling 30-metre sprint versus Manly. Coach O'Brien calls him "a dream player". "Raw talent, massive ceiling," O'Brien added. Teammates echo the praise, noting his tireless motor lifts training standards.
Away from games he is already adored. Chesterson volunteers weekly with the Hunter Medical Research Institute youth mental health outreach. Long after the siren he still signs jerseys as "Chesto" echoes through McDonald Jones Stadium. Advertisers have jumped on a regional building-society spot starring Chesterson and Rusty, his cattle dog.
Newcastle locked up Chesterson until 2029, a statement of intent for a regional powerhouse desperate to end its title drought. The faithful see him as the heartbeat of the project, a Hunter son poised to lead them back to grand-final glory.
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