20-year-old Fletcher Sharpe was born in the coalfields and spent all his weekends on the footy field. He played with the Cessnock Goannas throughout his junior career and worked his way through the Newcastle Knights pathways program and finally onto the NRL footy field.
Fletcher is Cessnock through and through, playing rugby league with the Goanna’s from 5 years old in the under-6s.
“I was a Goanna right through to under-17s which is when you move over to the senior ground.
“As soon as we finished playing our junior games, we would go over to the seniors’ ground and watch the First-Grade boys go at it which is a pretty fond memory for me,” Fletcher reflected.
The now 20-year-old progressed through the development pathways at the Newcastle Knights, starting training with the under-15s.
“You do more of a training program in the under-15s getting in and doing extra work to speed your progression and development along.
“We have some great people working in the Pathways program at the Knights and they do a great job keeping local talent around, the junior teams have been going quite well and it’s a reflection of the people they have working there, and the time being put into the junior program.”
Fletcher played a starring role for the Knights during their SG Ball Cup campaign helping the team through to the Grand Final in 2023.
Newcastle narrowly missed out on the win against Parramatta, but Fletcher played fullback in all 12 games, scoring 12 tries and making nine line-breaks. His performance in the SG Ball campaign earned him the Player’s Player Award in 2022 and 2023.
The 19-year-old then went into the Jersey Flegg Cup senior competition making 11 appearances for eight tries and six line-breaks.

Little did Fletcher know, but he had impressed the Knights NRL side and was about to be signed on a contract.
Fletcher made his debut for the Knights back in June travelling with the squad to Melbourne to take on the Storm in Round 15 as a replacement for injured David Armstrong.
“Games don’t get much bigger than Melbourne. It’s been a hard spot for us to play for the last ten years or so. It was a huge moment for me though, I had my whole family down there and all my mates, so it was pretty special.
“It got my blood pumping running out in AAMI Park, there were a lot of boos, but it got you ready to go it was unreal!
“The try was amazing. All the boys got around me, they were stoked.”
Fletcher scored his second try for the Knights at home against the Panthers in Round 15, and on his seventh appearance for the side in Round 23 against the Wests Tigers he scored four tries joining an exclusive club of players to have done the same, including eighth Immortal Andrew Johns.
“I got lucky on a few! I have great players playing beside me, so I just have to keep putting myself in the picture and they get you the ball when you need it, and I just have to finish it off.”
His time with the Goanna’s is never far from Fletcher’s heart… he wears Cessnock Goanna budgie smugglers every game.
“For the last few years, I’ve been wearing them every game, it’s just a bit of a good luck charm!”
For Fletcher he said the best thing about being on the squad has been learning from the more experienced players.
“Just being there every day, seeing what it takes to get ready week in week out, I think that’s been the best thing to get used to so I’ve been in everyday learning as much as I can off the experienced players.”