David Klemmer’s arrival can help catapult Newcastle up the ladder and into the NRL’s finals for the first time in five years, according to Knights captain Mitchell Pearce.
Klemmer’s move to Newcastle was complete on Monday, with the NSW State of Origin forward signing with the NRL club on a five-year deal after being released by Canterbury.
Klemmer is potentially the final piece of puzzle in Newcastle’s resurgence from perennial wooden spooners to genuine contenders, given Tim Glasby and James Gavet have also arrived this year.
With him, they’ll have one of the best forwards in the game to go with the league’s most exciting player in Ponga and a former Origin half in Pearce – both of whom only arrived last year.
“He’ll definitely help (the push for finals), he’s a massive part of it,” Pearce told reporters in Newcastle on Monday.
“He’s the Australian front-rower and he’ll definitely add a massive thing to our team.
“And if that’s a couple of places up the ladder, I reckon it probably is, yeah.”
Klemmer’s signing is the one the Knights so desperately needed considering their 2018 results.
The rising club finished 11th on the NRL’s ladder under coach Nathan Brown, but ran the least metres per game in attack and conceded the most in defence.
In Klemmer, they have a player who was second only to Jason Taumalolo in terms of average running metres for forwards this year.
“It’s the first time the Knights have had a front rower that is a regular in those teams maybe since as far back as Chief (Paul Harragon),” Brown said.
“Klem has played 17 times for Australia and 12 times for NSW before his 25th birthday, which says a lot about him.
“He’s a big man who will help us over the advantage line and lead our pack. He’s exactly what we need.”
His release from the Bulldogs comes with two years still to run on his contract at his junior club, with Canterbury picking up Sydney Roosters prop Dylan Napa as his replacement.
But it’s the move of Klemmer which has the potential to have the biggest influence in the competition in 2019 across all player movements.
The Knights have also signed exciting young centre Jesse Ramien and have Tautau Moga coming back from knee surgery, while Glasby also arrives as a Queensland Origin player.
And Pearce – who has played with Klemmer for NSW – is excited about the prospect of what the Kangaroos forward can do for the likes of young Saifiti brothers Jacob and Daniel in their pack.
“The club has been talking for a while about getting that alpha male up front,” Pearce said.
“They couldn’t have picked a better guy than Klemmer to come to the club.”
