These two young men have been selected in the Newcastle Knights National Youth Competition (NYC) under-20s squad and have signed two-year deals with the club.

But their journeys from Maitland to Energy Australia Stadium could not have been more different.

Clacherty has been elevated from the Knights junior development system and is a direct result of the rugby league production line, while Howell has limited experience in the sport and has switched codes to play in the red and blue.

Howell, 18, has played rugby union for the last six years and the No. 8 has represented NSW Country for five years.

He has also run out for NSW All Schools and was captain for NSW Country Schools.

But the Year 12 student at Hunter Valley Grammar School, who completed his HSC examinations yesterday, has been picked up by the Knights despite playing just three games of rugby league in his life.

“I played one game for school and another couple at Harold Matthews (Knights) trials but that was about three years ago,” Howell said.

“It is going to be hard changing codes and it will be a much different dynamic but I am looking forward to it.”

Howell, who was eyeing off a shift from the Maitland Blacks to Sydney club West Harbour next season to further his football career, was sighted by the Knights earlier this year.

Howell was playing for NSW at the Australian Schools Championships in Sydney in July when Knights welfare and recruitment officer Mick McIntyre spotted him and liked what he saw.

A few meetings followed and Howell signed on the dotted line late last month.

He said he was unsure what position he would be playing but early speculation suggested the loose forward in rugby union may shift to the front-row in rugby league.

Either way, Howell has gone a long way to achieving a boyhood dream.

“When I was in primary school I used to write in the back of a book the things I wanted to do,” Howell said.