Goosebump moment: Crouch proud to carry on Chief's legacy

It will be remembered as the day a debutant brought Newcastle Knights legend Paul Harragon to tears. 

Replacing great mate Cody Hopwood, East Maitland junior Lachlan Crouch came off the bench in the 27th minute of Newcastle’s 13-12 victory over the Dolphins at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday, becoming the 372nd player in the Knights’ 39-year history. 

In the dressing-room after full-time, surrounded by his team-mates, family and friends, Crouch received his Once-A-Knight Old Boys cap from his childhood hero. 

Though the towering 23-year-old prop was born more than five years after Harragon led the Knights to their famous ARL premiership in 1997, he still felt starstruck when the man best known as “Chief” held court in the Newcastle sheds. 

“I was sitting there and I was getting goosebumps listening to him,” Crouch told NRL.com.

“He’s the best front-rower to ever play the game so for him to be here and be able to present it to me, as a young front-rower trying to do what he did, it’s unreal.

"Growing up here, you always knew who the ‘Chief’ was and what he was about, and what he achieved. 

“It’s the best feeling ever. To grow up and be a Maitland boy, to come here and live out my childhood dream, it’s unreal.” 

A product of the Knights’ nursery, and a premiership-winner with the club’s 2019 Harold Matthews team, Crouch returned to Newcastle this season on a three-year deal after a short stint at Cronulla and their NSW Cup feeder club Newtown.

Starting Knights prop Trey Mooney (calf) was ruled out late in the week, earning a first NRL start for 20-year-old Hopwood, and ensuring Crouch would see his first NRL minutes. 

“It’s so good having ‘Chief’ around,” Knights coach Justin Holbrook said. 

“We know what he’s been for this club, first premiership-winning captain and a front-rower, so to have him at the game and to have him be more than happy to come into the sheds and present that to him (Crouch), the big fella (Harragon) got emotional, which shows how much it means to him to present that.” 

Crouch (77 metres, 25 tackles) and Hopwood (86 metres, 33 tackles) both played 42 minutes and more than held their own against a Dolphins pack led by heavy hitters Felise Kaufusi, Francis Molo, Kulikefu Finefeuiaki, Tom Gilbert and Morgan Knowles. 

“Cody’s a great fella. He’s one of my best mates, we’re both from Maitland, so to be achieving our dreams together, it’s unreal,” Crouch said. 

Hopwood, a West Maitland Wallaroos junior who captained NSW under-19s last year, had come off the bench in his first seven NRL games for Newcastle. 

He was only told on Saturday that he would be starting, then took on extra responsibility when pack leader Jacob Saifiti limped off with a hamstring injury in the 14th minute. 

“Justin said at the team meeting at captain’s run, we’re gonna start with ‘Hoppy’ and he also announced ‘Crouchy’ was going to make his debut. Me and Crouchy are good mates, so it was a pretty surreal feeling that we got to do that together,” Hopwood told NRL.com.

“When ‘Saf’ went down, he’d done a really good job in those first 14 minutes of laying the platform and setting the physicality for the game. He really set the tone for us younger ‘middles’ to come on and continue that, so it was really pleasing. 

“Sometimes you sort of pinch yourself when you’re around guys like Dyl Brown, Kalyn Ponga, all my team-mates. I think, ‘they’re my team-mates', and I used to look up to these guys, so it’s a surreal feeling. 

“Me being so young, that’s a natural feeling... I’m 20 years old but I’ve got a job to do for my team and my team-mates, I love everyone here at the club, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to win a game of footy.” 

Like Crouch, Hopwood hung on every word Harragon spoke after full-time on Sunday and at training the day before. 

“He was the spiritual leader of our club, and he still is the spiritual leader of our club,” Hopwood said. 

“He came in for our captain’s run and gave a speech yesterday, and the whole room goes quiet when ‘Chief’ talks. Everyone just listens and dials in.” 

Starting with Newcastle’s next game against South Sydney at Accor Stadium next Sunday, Hopwood and Crouch can anticipate more opportunities at NRL level in the coming weeks. 

Saifiti is expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks, and Mooney will need to pass a fitness test on his calf this week before being cleared to return against the Rabbitohs. 

Veteran forward Tyson Frizell is confident Hopwood and Crouch are up to the task of filling the void up front. 

“They’ve been waiting. Crouchy has been one of our best in NSW Cup, so he was always ready when he got his opportunity and I thought he did an outstanding job,” Frizell said. 

“It was Hoppy’s first start to a game and he’s going to be a player of the future, and playing for the next 10 years – hopefully for us. 

“They were unreal. They go about their work so easily and they do a great job for us. I’m very proud of them and we’re probably going to rely on them for the next few weeks, so it’s great to see the ability that they do have and [are showing] everyone what they’re about.”