Growing up, there's two things Kaleb Hope hadn't anticipated he'd be doing in his adult life - pursuing a rugby union career and going to university.
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Now he's doing both after the Hunter Wildfires spotted the 18-year-old playing for the Glen Innes Elks in the 2023 New England Rugby Union grand final.
Rugby league was always his preference throughout his early years.
He played juniors for Glen Innes Minor League before joining the Hawks in 2023 where he reached a grand final in the top grade.
But whenever he had a bye in the Group 19 competition, Hope "filled in" for the Elks second grade and Tenterfield's third grade rugby union sides.
His sporadic appearances, most notably during that grand final, piqued the interest of Wildfires recruiters.
Then he received a surprising phone call.
"It was actually the day after the rugby grand final," Hope said.
"They had apparently been watching and called me up, asked me if I would like to come down for a bit of a trial.
"It was a very big shock once I got the call.
"It was the last thing I was expecting."
It wasn't the phone call Hope had been expecting, given he's only "played maybe seven or eight games" of rugby union.
But the opportunity to be part of the Wildfires Colts squad wasn't one he was going to knock back either.
Although he had the chance to trial for rugby league club North Sydney Bears, Hope said union feels like a natural fit.
"It wasn't so much a tough decision, I love league but union, it seems to be a bit more suited to how I play," he said.
He went for the trial, which was a success, and moved to Newcastle.
"There's a lot more people but there's a lot of good people down here," Hope said.
"It is not so much a Sydney sort of town, you sort of know everyone."
Hope has been training with the squad for four weeks which he said was a bit of a shock to the system after the laidback Glen Innes environment.
"I was actually talking to one the coaches the other day, he asked me how I was going with my pre-season," Hope said.
"I said 'mate, this is the first ever pre-season I have ever done. There's no such thing as pre-season where I come from.'
But he's grateful to be doing it, especially given his relative inexperience in the rugby union arena.
"[I am] still finding my feet a little bit," he said.
"But with every training session I think I am getting the hang of it a bit more."
Another surprise for Hope came in the form of enrolling in university, a requirement set out by the Wildfires.
Hope is undertaking a Bachelor of Construction Management and working as a general labourer on the side.
"Once I dropped out [of school], I never thought in a million years I would be going to uni," he said.
"But I am here."