David Klemmer has revealed why he left the Knights to reunite with former Kangaroos coach Tim Sheens, who gave him his Test debut and revealed he didn’t need much convincing to join the Tigers.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported Klemmer was excited to join forces with Sheens and help his vision to turn the wooden spooners into a premiership force.
“He didn’t say anything until the end of the week, then he told me I was playing, and I was over the moon,” Klemmer said of his Test debut in 2014.
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“He was good for me, being so young. He’s still got the same coaching style. He knows rugby league inside out.
“He can adapt to how the game is now – there’s a few things that have changed, but he’s still a good coach.”
Klemmer still had a year to run on his Knights deal and was playing well in Newcastle, but a lack of opportunities beyond 2023 convinced him now was the time to move his career in a new direction.
“I went back to Newcastle to see if there was anything there for the next couple of years after next year,” Klemmer said.
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“There wasn’t anything and they thought about maybe me and Hastings swapping.
“I’ve got a lot of footy left in me and the fire still burns, so I thought it would be a great opportunity to come here and play for the Tigers. They are definitely looking on the up.”
Klemmer revealed he was convinced the Tigers were moving in the right direction and that he wanted to be a part of it after touring the Zurich Centre, the club’s new $78 million centre of excellence.
“After that first meeting I was pretty much over the line,” Klemmer said.
“Just how he was talking about things, talking about footy. He’s just a rugby league coach and I still want to get better.
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“I’ve played a long time and want to get better in all aspects on and off the field. He’s there and Benji [Marshall] has got his own way he wants to coach and help out. It’s very exciting.”
Klemmer turns 29 in December and after 194 NRL games for the Bulldogs and Knights, 14 Origins for NSW and 19 Tests for Australia, he sees his role as a leader of the Tigers’ exciting young core of forwards.
“There are a lot of young guys coming through, a lot of middles [forwards] with potential,” Klemmer said.
“I want to play with them and try to help them out in any way on or off the field. I want to get out there with them, train hard and try to improve them. I love that.”
However, he stopped short of putting his name forward for the captaincy vacancy left by James Tamou’s departure to the Cowboys at this stage.
“I’ve only been here a couple of days,” Klemmer said.
“You’d have to ask that at the end of pre-season, I’m just getting to know everyone.
“I want to make sure I know everyone in that footy squad, whether they are 17 to however old they are. I want to know them on and off the field. I’m a bit nervous, but I’m loving it.”
