Adam Cuthbertson names young guns Baden Robinson and Hugh Arthur as players to watch for 2025

Cutters coach Adam Cuthbertson has revealed which two young guns fans should have their eye on ahead of the 2025 Hostplus Cup season.

Hugh Arthur Mackay Magpies vs Brothers Mackay Preliminary final at the Mackay District Rugby League. Sunday 1 September 2024 Picture:Michaela Harlow

With round 1 of the Hostplus Cup season now less than a month away, Mackay Cutters coach Adam Cuthbertson as revealed a pair of young guns he believes are primed for a massive 2025 campaign.

Speaking to the media ahead of the Cutters’ trial match against CQ Capras, Cuthbertson identified 22-year-old second rower Hugh Arthur and 20-year-old forward Baden Robinson as the players for Cutters fans to keep an eye on.

“We’ve got some really impressive local juniors stepping up. Both ‘Hughy’ Arthur and Baden Robinson have really impressed both myself and the staff,” he said.

“We’re actually really looking forward to seeing how they travel come the trial matches.”

Arthur has featured for the senior team on three occasions in his career across the past couple of seasons, with the highlight so far being his round 23 try last year against Ipswich Jets.

Baden Robinson is one of a pair of young Mackay Cutters guns set for a strong 2025 Hostplus Cup campaign. Picture: Luke Fletcher, QRL

Robinson has yet to feature in a senior fixture for the Cutters, as he spent a large portion of 2024 sidelined due to a jaw injury.

Beyond those two key figures, Cuthbertson said there are a number of development players who will get a taste of Hostplus Cup action come Saturday’s fixture.

“We haven’t named at team list yet, but there will absolutely be opportunities for those guys to step up,” Cuthbertson said on Tuesday.

With Cuthbertson having taken the reins as head coach midway through 2024, this is the first pre-season he has had in charge of the squad, something which the former NRL prop said has been beneficial for both himself and the squad.

“I think we’ve done all the right things this pre-season in terms of getting the boys right physically, we’ve had our new assistant in Andy Battaia come in and he’s been a great asset for us,” he said.

“We’ve put an emphasis on spending as much time as we can on the track getting reps in, that’s how the team is going to get better.”