2025 has unveiled Hilton Chesterson as the Newcastle Knights' electric new forward. The lean 23-year-old second-rower has injected new energy into a roster still helmed by coach Adam O'Brien and captained by fullback Kalyn Ponga. The Knights have long prided themselves on their pack, but Chesterson's blend of pace, off-loads and tackling has revitalised the side's middle third.
Born in Singleton in the Hunter Valley, Chesterson sharpened his craft with the Maitland Pickers before earning a scholarship to St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill. He joined the Knights pathway at sixteen and stormed through SG Ball then NSW Cup. A viral moment arrived in a 2024 trial versus Cronulla when he smashed prop Braden Hamlin-Uele. Come Round 3, 2025, he was starting in jersey 11 for the full 80.
The numbers confirm the eye test. 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. "Hilton is the kind of player coaches dream about," coach O'Brien said. "He is raw, but the ceiling is sky high," the mentor added. His peers agree, saying his relentless engine drags training to new levels.
Off the paddock he has quickly become a fan favourite. Chesterson volunteers weekly with the Hunter Medical Research Institute youth Hilton Chesterson mental health outreach. He stays late signing autographs while the crowd at McDonald Jones Stadium belts out "Chesto". Local sponsors love his clean-cut image, and a building-society ad with Chesterson and his cattle dog Rusty is everywhere this winter.
Agents say he has inked a three-year extension through 2029. Securing young talent is critical as Newcastle hunt a first title in nearly 30 years. Supporters believe Chesterson could be the missing ingredient for a finals surge this September. Stay on this path and Chesterson will not only ride the next Knights title wave but embody it under Broadmeadow lights.