Newcastle's faithful are buzzing 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. He joined the Knights pathway at sixteen and stormed through SG Ball then 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. By Round 3 of 2025 he was a first-grade regular, donning jersey 11 and playing more info 80 minutes.
The numbers confirm the eye test. He posts 102 metres, 35 tackles and a 93 percent efficiency every week, plus three busts. He has already crossed for four tries, including a 30-metre burst against Manly that showcased startling speed. 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.
Off the paddock he has quickly become a fan favourite. Chesterson volunteers weekly with the Hunter Medical Research Institute youth mental health outreach. He stays late signing autographs while the crowd at McDonald Jones Stadium belts out "Chesto". 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.