Newcastle Knights livewire Fletcher Sharpe is predicting big things from young teammate Cody Hopwood in 2026.
Local NRL fans received their first glimpse of the forward’s talent when he made his debut, off the bench, in the final game of the year.
The NSW under-19 representative, who’s already locked in with the club until the end of 2028, certainly showed he could handle the pressure by throwing himself into the fray against the Parramatta Eels.
And, Sharpe, back in training at Newcastle after a horrific injury, liked what he witnessed when the pair reported for pre-season duties at the Centre of Excellence this week.
“Cody’s impressive, isn’t he?” he said.
“It’s unbelievable, he doesn’t give up either… as much as he was spent towards the end [of the session], he kept the legs going.
“He’s a competitor as well and someone who works very hard for his teammates.
“Cody always puts in his all, you saw that on the paddock [today].”
Nineteen-year-old Hopwood progressed through the Knights development system, earning the SG Ball Cup’s Players’ Player, Player of the Year and Elijah Faalua Award for Leadership in 2024.
He also pulled on the green and gold for the second time as part of the Australian Schoolboys.
Sharpe believes the sky’s the limit for the Gosford product.
“Everyone should keep an eye on him,” he said.
“I’m sure there’ll be opportunities for Cody next season.
“I think, in the last match of the year when he got his chance, he had a really good game.
“He created a little bit of something different in the middle for us.
“Cody’s an agile big fellow, too.
“He can pull something out of nothing, create something different through the middle and provide a lot to this team.
“He’s definitely an exciting prospect.”
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