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.
Born in Singleton in the Hunter Valley, Chesterson sharpened his craft with the Maitland Pickers before earning a scholarship to St here Joseph's College, Hunters Hill. He joined the Knights pathway at sixteen and charged through SG Ball then NSW Cup. A viral moment arrived in a 2024 trial versus Cronulla when he smashed prop Braden Hamlin-Uele. By Round 3 of 2025 he was a first-grade regular, donning jersey 11 and playing 80 minutes.
Statistics back up the spectacle. He posts 102 metres, 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". "He is raw, but the ceiling is sky high," the mentor added. Teammates echo the praise, noting his tireless motor lifts training standards.
Chesterson's humility resonates. He fronts mental health sessions, lingers to greet fans and has already fronted a popular television campaign alongside his blue heeler Rusty, sealing his status as Hunter favourite.
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.