Fletcher Sharpe reveals Andrew Johns act as NRL young gun spills the beans on Kalyn Ponga..

Newcastle Knights winger Fletcher Sharpe has revealed Andrew Johns reached out to him before his debut as the youngster also praised the influence of Kalyn Ponga ahead of the upcoming season. Sharpe burst onto the NRL scene in 2024 having filled in for the injured Ponga at fullback before shifting to the wing to finish the season.

The speedster managed to cement his position having scored 11 tries in 12 games for the club and will be looking to build on his electric form in 2025. He even earned a debut at fullback in the Australia PM XIII team late last year.

The 20-year-old grew up playing in Newcastle and for their juniors and was always tipped to feature for the NRL club at one stage. And the flyer got his opportunity in 2024 – due to the injury of Ponga – and hasn’t looked back with the shy winger looking to build on his debut season.

And speaking to SEN Radio on Friday, Sharpe revealed a pleasant surprise before he made his debut for his boyhood club. Sharpe said Knights legend Johns reached out to him in a touching moment for the 20-year-old who grew up in the same town as the club legend.

Joey reached out actually, the night before my debut in Melbourne,” Sharpe said. “He gave me a call and just wished me good luck and congratulated me.

“That was pretty cool.” Johns is the eighth NRL Immortal and is considered by many as the best player ever to play rugby league. The halfback won two premierships with the Knights.