KNIGHTS coach Adam O'Brien isn't sure when Fletcher Sharpe will next feature in his first-grade team, only that his services will definitely be required at some point in the future.
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"It's not the last time you'll see Fletcher Sharpe," O'Brien said this week after naming the 20-year-old from Cessnock on an extended bench for Saturday's clash with Brisbane at McDonald Jones Stadium.
Sharpe has played in Newcastle's past six games and been impressive from the outset, scoring a try on debut against Melbourne in round 14, and following it with a try against Penrith a week later.
In last week's 44-6 hammering from Manly, the wiry fullback was arguably Newcastle's best player, gaining 165 attacking metres and regularly putting his body on the line.
"Good footy player ... yep, got a good future, that kid," O'Brien said. "Tough. He copped a really bad knock in the first tackle of the game last week and did his very best to hide it from me all game. I love that about him."
The return of skipper Kalyn Ponga at fullback after his Origin commitments means O'Brien is considering alternative options for Sharpe, who played in the halves as a junior and came off the bench in a roving role in Newcastle's recent win against Canberra.
"I think he's a guy who you could just put any number on his back," O'Brien said.
"Well maybe not eight or 10, I don't think he'd enjoy it if I did that to him.
"But anywhere in the backline, I think he could certainly play ... just throw him in the middle, and he'll just compete. He did that in the Canberra game when he came on.
"He's just a ball of energy, and he's tough. If you've those two attributes, you're not putting a ceiling on his position."
Sharpe will no doubt spend next pre-season training in a variety of roles.
"Ideally, if we were looking at playing him in other positions, I'd want a little bit more time to get some training reps in," O'Brien said.
"But he's done a hell of a job. I don't think we would have expected to get the number of games [from him] at the start of the year."
O'Brien hopes the experience Sharpe has gained this year will fast-track his development. "That experience and lessons he gets taught in amongst that 80 minutes is invaluable," he said. "So he's way ahead of time."
