![David Armstrong, left, and Thomas Cant. Both starred in Newcastle's NSW Cup thrashing of Sydney Roosters on Saturday. Picture by Marina Neil David Armstrong, left, and Thomas Cant. Both starred in Newcastle's NSW Cup thrashing of Sydney Roosters on Saturday. Picture by Marina Neil](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/AFKkRPHwQbXhqFfb42nFTx/8bae6dd3-9398-41f0-9e96-f206db70f33e.JPG/r1427_187_5880_3774_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
HE might be agonising over the toughest decision of his life, but David Armstrong hasn't allowed it to affect his football.
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Armstrong was one of several fringe Newcastle NRL players to make the most of the first-grade team's bye week by starring in a 36-0 hammering of the Sydney Roosters in NSW Cup on Saturday.
Named on the wing but playing in his preferred fullback role, Armstrong created the first try, for centre Krystian Mapalalangi, with a deft grubber kick and scored one himself soon afterwards by slicing through from close range.
It followed his two-try haul a week earlier in Newcastle's 42-22 win against Penrith in NSW Cup, which was the perfect response to being dropped from the NRL squad, after a brief but spectacular stint that delivered five tries in five games, including a hat-trick against Gold Coast.
Armstrong has since become the central figure in a bizarre tug-of-war between the Knights and English club Leigh Leopards.
His agent informed Newcastle officials two weeks ago that Armstrong had agreed to accept a two-year contract extension, only for the 23-year-old to change his mind days later and indicate he wanted to instead link with Leigh on a three-season deal.
The Knights still hope to retain Armstrong and have given him time to think it over. But in the meantime, it doesn't appear to have been a distraction on game day.
His three tries in two games since being dropped from the NRL side give him eight in seven NSW Cup appearances this season
Armstrong's replacement, Cessnock tyro Fletcher Sharpe, has kicked off his NRL career in equally impressive fashion with two tries in two games, prompting Knights coach Adam O'Brien to reveal he is open to the idea of potentially switching Armstrong to wing.
O'Brien will have been pleased with the form of not only Armstrong in reserve grade on Saturday, but a number of his NRL regulars.
Front-rower Jack Hetherington certainly appeared to appreciate some game time, having played only nine minutes off the bench against Penrith a week earlier.
Hetherington blew out the cobwebs on Saturday, carting the ball 226 metres and making 29 tackles.Likewise, lock Mat Croker (173 metres and 44 tackles) was also heavily involved.
Croker appeared in 24 NRL games last year but has featured in only six top-grade fixtures this season.
Off contract at the end of this campaign, he would welcome an extended run in the shop window.
Another free agent, back-rower Thomas Cant, did his cause no harm by scoring a hat-trick of tries and kicking six goals from as many attempts, for a personal 24-point haul against the Roosters.
Cant, a 22-year-old East Maitland junior, made his NRL debut in round three last season, but the closest he has come since was being chosen as 18th man. His form could be timely, given the foot injury that sidelined English import Kai Pearce-Paul for the loss to Penrith.
O'Brien was confident Pearce-Paul would be available to take on Parramatta at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday, but added: "It's just a case of if we rush him, it'll turn into a big thing, so he'll be in that boot a lot longer."
Newcastle's reserve-graders have won two games in a row by large margins, providing O'Brien with food for thought after his own team's three-game losing streak.