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Fletcher makes his NRL debut By DALLAS REEVES In a wonderful moment for local sport, Fletcher Hunt from Warren made his NRL (National Rugby League) debut for Newcastle last week at just 19 years of age. The dynamic utility played on the wing for the Knights against Parramatta at McDonald Jones Stadium last Friday after a knee injury to powerhouse Newcastle outside back, Greg Marzhew delivered a life-changing opportunity for the former Warren Bulldogs and Nyngan Tigers junior. While for many Knights fans in the Hunter, the announcement on the night of the club being selected to go to Las Vegas to open the 2026 NRL season and, also veteran Dane Gagai’s 300th first grade match, took centre stage, in Warren and Nyngan, the only thing people were talking about, was Fletcher’s debut. It’s a remarkable tale – someone who was recruited to play at
the Knights in late 2023 despite Warren not having a senior side at the time, playing his junior rugby league at Warren and Nyngan – making his NRL debut around just 18 months after leaving home.
The game The story on the night was just as noteworthy, a courageous debut from a young player from the bush facing the herculean double task of marking high-flying NSW Origin and Australian winger, Zac Lomax, and being peppered with an aerial assault from Parramatta halfback and NSW five-eighth and Kangaroo Mitchell Moses to Lomax’s wing. Parramatta may have won the lop-sided affair 28-6, but Hunt battled bravely and tried all night on Newcastle’s left wing. According to statistics available on www.nrl.com, Hunt had 16 runs, making 148 metres with
commentator, Andrew Voss stating: “That is some moment. He (Hunt) stamps his arrival on the NRL there.” There were many more moments of spectacular flying aerial battles between Lomax and Hunt throughout the contest, Hunt pressuring the bigger Lomax into three errors. And six-and-a-half minutes before half-time, Hunt got within three metres of a try on debut when he was on the end of sweeping Knights back-line play. Hunt also never stopped trying across the entire 80 minutes. Voss quipped during the second half that seeing Hunt’s bravery when contesting Parramatta high kicks designed for Erin and Danny Hunt with their son Fletcher and the jersey he wore Lomax, he’d love to have seen the Knights debutant have the in his National Rugby League debut. Photo: Newcastle Knights. opportunity to take on Lomax in 37 post-contact metres and one and effort showed during the an aerial contest when Newcasoffload, five tackles, four missed match. tle were attacking, rather than tackles, and four errors. The highlight came early, a defending. However, what pure numbers sensational flying catch of a don’t tell, was the teenager’s Dylan Brown bomb in the fifth ■ Continued page 3 fearlessness, determination, minute, pay television match