JOE PORTER has signed on the dotted line for York City Knights after winning a one-year contract with his hometown club.

The York Acorn ARLC Player of the Year had been on trial at Bootham Crescent for over a month, but has now agreed terms on a one-year deal after impressing head coach James Ford with his aggression and “appetite for learning”.

The 23-year-old back-rower is now hoping to make his competitive debut in the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup tie at home to Egremont Rangers on Sunday.

Fellow trialists Matty Downes and Josh Kittrick, meanwhile, have not been offered terms but the Knights are keen to keep tabs on the former especially, having encouraged the teenager to return to his junior club, Acorn.

Said Porter of his successful trial spell and rise into the pro ranks: “It’s gone really well, I’ve really enjoyed it.

“I feel I’m improving every week. Training is a lot more intense and very professional and I’m learning different drills every week.

“I feel I’ve fitted in well. I joined at the back end of pre-season and have been told I haven’t looked out of place, so that’s a boost to my confidence.

“Hopefully I will be picked in upcoming games. I’m up against lots of good players so it will be tough to get in and I will have to work hard, keep showing, keep improving and hopefully take my chance.”

Porter - a former York High School student, who only took up rugby league aged 16, having previously been a junior footballer with local league team Hamilton Panthers - featured in the Knights' friendlies against Featherstone and Bradford but was unavailable for the London Broncos game.

He was not included in the season-opening League One Cup first round extra-time defeat to North Wales Crusaders on Sunday.

His contract terms will not preclude him playing again for Acorn should he remain on the sidelines at Bootham Crescent - although Ford has previously said he would not sign him just to leave him in the stands as back-up.

On handing Porter a deal, Ford said: “Joe has impressed all the coaching staff, showing an appetite for work and for learning.

"He’s a good athlete and is quick for a middle and can get in between defenders and speed up the game with his ruck speed.

“He’s going to be competing for a place with some quality players but he’s got a really good opportunity of getting himself in the team.

“His attitude has really impressed us. He’s a credit to all the amateur coaches in the area who have worked with him, and a credit to his family. He’s an aggressive kid but he’s a lovely kid and we look forward to working with him.”

Meanwhile, former England Lions Under-18s international Downes is a free agent again, having left Bradford academy last autumn, as is Kittrick, the former Wakefield academy half-back who played seven times for Newcastle last year.

Ford hoped former York High School student Downes would rejoin Acorn.

"Physically he is really impressive – he’s big, strong and fast for his age," he said. "We feel he’s a bit raw in one or two areas and we think he needs to play week in week out for a year or so.

“We want to keep tabs on him. If we had an ‘unders’ team, we would sign him but we haven’t and we don’t want to take someone out of the community game who needs to play.”

On Wakefield-based Kittrick, Ford said: “We’ve thanked him for his efforts but unfortunately we don’t feel he’s right for us. He’s another person who’s come out of academy rugby and needs to play regularly for him to fulfil his potential, so the option is to go back to community rugby and learn his trade.”

He added of the pair: “They’ve definitely got something, they just need to develop a bit more and they can do that at clubs like Acorn, Heworth, New Earswick and York Lokomotive, or at clubs out of the area. The important thing is they keep playing.”

* PRICES for the Knights' Challenge Cup third round tie against Cumbrian amateurs Egremont at Bootham Crescent on Sunday (3pm) are £10 for adults, £5 for concessions and free for under-16s.