A fortnight ago, on the afternoon before the Knights took on the Bulldogs in Newcastle, coach Nathan Brown pulled into the northbound Caltex Twin servo on the M1 for a bite to eat.
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That morning, he’d missed his first Captain’s run since taking the coaching job at the Knights to attend the funeral of former Dragons assistant coach and recruitment manager Max Ninness in Helensburgh and he was on his way home.
As chance would have it, the first two people he ran into when he pulled up were Bulldogs chair Lynne Anderson and board member husband Chris, presumably on their way to Newcastle for the game the next day.
The conversation quickly turned to the salary cap predicament the Dogs find themselves in with the Andersons keen to pick Brown’s brain on how the Knights went about solving their problems,
It was after they’d spoken for several minutes that Brown offered up a suggestion.
“We’ll be happy to help you out and take Dave Klemmer off your hands,” Brown told the Andersons.
It was a throwaway line which Chris simply laughed off at the time.
It had gone no further until this week, when media speculation about the Knights’ interest in Klemmer sparked growing hype surrounding the future of the Test prop.
Brown’s conversation with the Andersons is apparently the extent of the dialogue between the two clubs in regards to Klemmer.
But it doesn’t mean that’s where it will end.
The Dogs clearly hold the aces because Klemmer is under contract for two more years and he is not someone they want to let go no matter how bad their salary cap position is. They want to re-build the club around him and Josh Jackson.
The problem for the Dogs appears to be how much they are paying him.
If the rumours are right, Klemmer is making noises behind the scenes about the possibility of leaving because he believes he is being vastly underpaid on market value.
If it is true, the Dogs will either have to up-grade him, which will put even further pressure on their cap, or run the risk of having a very disgruntled frontrower on their hands playing in a struggling side.
The Knights are now sitting back waiting to see how it plays out.
They have been discretely told through a third party Klemmer would not be against bringing his young family to Newcastle, which initially the club thought would be an issue.
We also understand he has a sister who lives at Medowie.
The story has plenty of legs. Stay tuned.
Taupau not in mix
The question has been asked plenty of times by Knights fans: ‘Why hasn’t the club thrown a bucket-load of cash at Kiwi international Marty Taupau’?
The answer is simple enough. He is on more than $800,000 at the Eagles next season, his wife works for the NRL and his management has told the Knights he is highly unlikely to want to re-locate, even if he was forced out at Manly.
Rare debut win
Some trivia.
Nick Meaney was the 15th player to make his NRL debut under coach Nathan Brown at the Knights but the young fullback was just the second player to finish his first top grade game as a winner.
Who was the other? Former playmaker Will Pearsall debuted in the Knights’ round six 18-16 win over Wests Tigers in 2016.
Tigers reunion
Mitchell Pearce hosted a mini-Balmain reunion at his place after the Eels win last week with his mum and dad Terri and Wayne and Pearce’s partner Zoe Grant’s parents James and Susan in Newcastle to watch him return from injury.
Former Wallaby James Grant, who lives near God’s country in Orange, and Wayne Pearce played together in the Tigers’ 1989 grandfinal loss to Canberra.
On the radar
The Knights are in the market for halves and we have heard names like Tyrone Roberts, Scott Drinkwater and Matt Frawley thrown around as potential targets. Still no word on Brock Lamb so not beyond the realms he could actually stay.
Tigers snare junior Knight
Wests Tigers have signed promising young Knights five-eighth Jock Madden, who was yesterday named in the Australian Schoolboys squad to tour England later in the year.
Madden, a Scone Thoroughbred junior who played NSW Under 18’s this season, was one of four Knights stars to make the schoolboys touring party after this week’s Australian Championships at Cudgen.
Outstanding young centre Bradman Best, impressive fullback Star To’a and promising backrower Harry Croker were also selected from the seven Knights representatives at the carnival.
The Knights had wanted to keep Madden and made him a good offer to stay.
But they could not compete with the Tigers, who have signed him to their fulltime squad as a development player in their top 36 for next season.
The Knights have a number of players further up the development pecking order so apparently, could not make a similar offer.
“The way the system works with the top 36, we are at a distinct disadvantage because clubs who don’t produce their own can pinch ours and promise them development positions,” one Knights source said.
Ironically, centre Heath Gibbs, who was signed to a similar three year deal by the Tigers last season, is now back at the Knights on compassionate grounds after getting homesick.
Future stars upgraded
Expect young Knights stars halfback Phoenix Crossland and Bradman Best, both contracted until the end of next season, to sign upgraded deals that will extend them out a further couple of years within the next week.
Both are considered future NRL players.
Hammo’s night
His own story is fascinating and uplifting and there are few better advocates for mental health in Newcastle than ABC radio sporting personality Craig Hamilton.
Hammo speaks all around the country but on Tuesday night, will be a key note speaker, along with Patrick McGorry, at a function at Wests Leagues Club entitled Lets Talk Mental Health.
He is expecting around 200 plus people to attend but tickets are $19.95 and still available at the club. Just give Wests a call.