The similarties Sharpe shares with a future immortal

Being able to play a wide variety of positions in the backs, Fletcher Sharpe has proven to be one of the Knights’ most important players as Newcastle is on track for a finals appearance one year after winning the wooden spoon.

And it’s led Joel Caine to suggest that he shares similarities with a legend of the game.

After starting the year with a bang against the Cowboys in Las Vegas, Sharpe has continued his form throughout the season, managing eight try assists and nine tries through 18 games whilst playing in the centres, fullback and five-eighth.

That versatility was needed this weekend. With Dylan Brown out for the rest of the season following a ruptured left ACL, the Knights shuffled their spine, seeing Sharpe start as five-eighth rather than fullback.

And against the Broncos on Saturday night, the 22-year-old was again superb, scoring two tries alongside two line breaks, seeing the Knights cruise to a 30-6 win.

Speaking after the match, the former Tiger believes Sharpe shares certain traits with the most-capped Bronco and third-most capped Maroon in Darren Lockyer.

“My boys asked me, Dad, who does Fletcher Sharpe remind you, is there a player that reminds you?” Caine asked on SEN’s The Run Home with Joel and Fletch.

“I'll tell you who I said and please don't take this as a comparison because, people are gonna say he's nothing like him.

“(Darren) Lockyer.

“The speed, the fullback, the five-eightness.

“Don't you reckon there's a bit of a young Lockyer in the way Fletcher Sharpe plays?"

“I'm not suggesting that Fletcher Sharpe is going to have the golden career that Lockyer had, but I do see similarities.”

Bryan Fletcher noted that the Knights back plays in an unpredictable way akin to Reece Walsh at the Broncos.

“He's just busy,” Fletcher said.

“Like when you think of a player who follows a game plan, it's Cooper Cronk.

“It's very regimented. It's get to that, get to that, where he just off the top, every time he's got the ball like Reece Walsh.

“Free spirit, you don't know what he's gonna do. Sometimes he'll run in a circle, come off his left foot, he'll duck. Yeah, he’s a beaut to watch.”

Sharpe and the Knights will look to keep in touch with the top four when they take on the Raiders in the nation’s capital on Sunday afternoon.

Kick-off takes place 2pm AEST with SEN League having live coverage of the match on our radio network and on the SEN app from 12pm with Crunch Time NRL.