Source : ABC NEWS
Newcastle forward Francis Manuleleua might be less than two weeks off dislocating his right elbow but at the end of an interview he’ll still shake your hand and shake it hard.
“Nah, let’s go for it G,” Manuleleua said when offered the chance to forgo a handshake, just in case.
“It’s gotta be strong.”
The 22-year-old’s right arm bent in a way that right arms are not supposed to bend in the Knights loss to the Warriors a fortnight back.
Manuleleua suffered a dislocated elbow against New Zealand two weeks ago. (Getty Images: Hannah Peters )
It looked gruesome — Manuleleua was straight on the green whistle and phrases like “bony deformity” were used in analysis of the video.
But with Newcastle already without key men Dylan Lucas, Trey Mooney and Jacob Saifiti due to injury and suspension ahead of Friday’s sudden-death semifinal against South Sydney and after being cleared of a fracture, Manuleleua will push to play.
He was named on Tuesday for what would be his NRL finals debut and is one of an unheralded mix of youngsters and journeymen in the Knights forwards who will be tasked with taking down the Rabbitohs.
In terms of star power it’s a no-contest. Every player in the South Sydney starting pack has played either Test or Origin football except for Tallis Duncan, who might not have to wait long to join them.
Manuleleua has a mere 11 NRL matches to his credit and fellow second rower Jermaine McEwen is wrapping up his first full season as an every week player.
The baby of the side is starting prop Cody Hopwood, still just 20, although at 196cm and 105kgs that’s a damn big baby.
He’s great mates with eight-gamer Lachlan Crouch, who received his first Knights cap from Paul Harragon himself upon his NRL debut earlier this year.
Both the rookies played their juniors in Maitland, as did the more seasoned Thomas Cant and Pasami Saulo who both fit the image of the honest toiler.
Cant has played almost 40 NRL matches since his debut in 2023 and is yet to score a try but that pales compared to Saulo — he’s about to finish his ninth season in the league without a single four-pointer to show for it.
Injuries have ripped through the Knights pack in recent weeks. (Getty Images: Scott Gardiner )
Newcastle will lean heavily on the experience of 300-gamer Tyson Frizell and the underrated Matt Croker at lock as they match it with a South Sydney pack that is both fully loaded and battle-hardened.
Cameron Murray, Junior Tatola, David Fifita and Keaon Koloamatangi all have 150 NRL games or more to their credit and all but Fifita have been through multiple finals campaigns.
Even Duncan, by far their least experienced starting forward, has made more first grade appearances than Manuleleua, Crouch, Hopwood and McEwen combined.
Given he’s marking up on the reborn Fifita, Manuleleua might be facing the biggest task of all and certainly the hardest test of an NRL career that began just a few months ago. He can’t wait for it.
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“He’s a big, powerful boy and there’s a job to do. But I’m keen for the challenge,” said Manuleleua.
“They’ve got a lot of strengths on their edge with Fifita, Latrell Mitchell and Jack Wighton and a great ball-player in Cody Walker, so it’s a good challenge for us edges.
“But that’s the kind of footy we want to play anyway. We want to go after that challenge, go after them and see what happens.”
Despite making his NRL debut in Round 3, a steady start is leading to a big finish for Manuleleua.
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It wasn’t until Round 20 that he became a regular starter following Lucas going down with an ankle injury.
But with six line breaks, two tries, five try assists and 23 tackle busts in the six games since, Manuleleua has proven to be one of the finds of the season.
He’s a big, explosive man who can do big, explosive things and has it in him to be a wrecking machine but he’s also fresh enough that so much of this is still new.
The match against the Warriors, for example, was the first time the Papatoetoe junior got to play back in New Zealand and over 25 family members and countless friends packed out the stands to see him.
Manuleleua scored a try on his return to New Zealand last week. (Getty Images: Hannah Peters )
“It’s pretty surreal. I still can’t believe it. I didn’t think I’d be playing finals footy this early in my career,” said Manuleleua.
“It was gun, that game against the Warriors. They (my family) were loud as hell, Warriors had 25,000 fans but I could still hear my family and it was the first time I played an NRL game in front of them at home.
“It was bittersweet because we couldn’t win the game but they were just happy I scored a try.”
Manuleleua’s clash with Fifita might be the most difficult job but it’s not the biggest — that belongs to Hopwood, who will start at prop.
He did the same in the club’s most recent clash with South Sydney in Round 19, when Hopwood and Crouch got in the mix with the Rabbitohs amid a torrid physical battle.
The two Maitland boys are popular members of the Knights squad given they have a special brand of front-row charm, as Manuleleua explains.
“They’re intentionally funny. They’ll do something weird but it’ll be funny,” said Manuleleua.
“When it comes to the game they look like monsters but they’re kind at heart, they’re good people.”
Hopwood doesn’t have time to think about what Manuleleua is talking about given he’s about to play the biggest game of his life.
Hopwood will start in the front row for an NRL final at just 20 years of age. (Getty Images: Scott Gardiner )
“I have no idea what that means. I don’t think I want to know either,” said Hopwood.
“Whenever you’re out and about people are wishing you luck for Friday night, the town’s flying and we’re all excited.
“I’m really confident, I’m in a good spot mentally and physically. Attack it front on, that’s probably the best way to go. Just go hard and try to go for longer.”
Hopwood was a highly rated junior, representing New South Wales Under 19s twice, but despite making his NRL debut in the final round of last season he never thought he’d play as much first grade in 2026 as he has.
“Not at all, but I’ve had some really good people around me that have helped with the transition,” said Hopwood.
“I thought I might only play two or three games this year, so it’s all come pretty quick.
“I’m feeling really supported and I don’t want to let anyone down, I want to repay that faith.”
Hopwood did not expect to play more than one or two NRL games this year. (Getty Images: Ayush Kumar )
Hopwood’s done a fine job with it so far, starting seven of his 14 games this season, and seems the type who never learned to take a backward step.
Whether that will be enough against players like Koloamatangi and Murray remains to be seen but Hopwood isn’t thinking about the odds stacked against him or his side.
Like any good Novocastrian, he has dreamed of making a difference for the Knights his whole life and was there as a 17-year old in the crowd for their last finals win three years ago.
Dom Young roaring down the sideline for a length-of-the-field try is a memory that will never leave him and now all he wants is to give Knights fans another moment that lasts forever.
“I remember thinking how much I’d love to be a part of something like that and I get to live it on Friday night,” said Hopwood.
“How good is that?”
