The description, in a recent profile by sports journalist Adrian Proszenko, paints a vivid picture: a man who plays cricket in summer and footy in winter for the Cessnock Goannas, fishes and golfs with mates, and bounds around town with an infectious 'How bloody good is life?' attitude.
Sharpe's mullet, dubbed the 'Cessnock Curtain' after his hometown, has taken on a life of its own. The name also belongs to his greyhound, which has 10 wins from 47 starts and $29,360 in prize money. At an open Knights training session at McDonald Jones Stadium in the lead-up to the grand final, fans paid homage by turning up with their own Cessnock Curtains.
"It's super cool when you see the young fellas come up to you and say, 'I've got a haircut like you'. It gives you a good feel," Sharpe told Proszenko. "I've been rocking it for a while now, and I reckon I'd look weird without one, so it might be sticking around for a bit."
Sharpe's journey to becoming the face of Newcastle began when recruiter Alex McKinnon spotted him as a 16-year-old halfback for the Harold Matthews team. His first contract was worth $1000 for two seasons. Now, the son of a coal miner who once worked as a plumber is a grand final hero, still living at home and walking the same streets where fans yell "Up the Knights" and "Go Newy" from traffic lights.
"Being born and bred out in Cessnock and growing up here, this is your hometown team," Sharpe said. "That town is buzzing at the moment; they're all Newy fans out there."