Newcastle have secured the biggest recruit of the 2019 NRL season, signing NSW and Australian prop David Klemmer on a five-year deal.
NRL.com understands the Bulldogs have granted Klemmer an immediate release from the final two years of his deal, allowing the prop to take up a deal with the Knights worth around $4.3 million over the five-year term.
As reported by NRL.com on October 28, Klemmer fronted Bulldogs officials with his wife, Chloe, after returning from international duty, seeking an immediate release from his contract at Canterbury.
While the Dogs wanted to hold on to Klemmer, they didn't want to keep a player who didn't want to be at the club and were trying to secure a replacement before agreeing to release the 24-year-old international. It is believed Roosters prop Dylan Napa will be the man to replace Klemmer.
Klemmer has been disgruntled for some time over the structure of his deal at the Bulldogs, including the arrangement around some third-party payments.
However, the Kangaroos prop has also been dealing with some personal problems and is desperate to start a new life with his wife and three sons away from Sydney and he believes Newcastle is the ideal location for his family.
It is understood his annual Knights salary is close to what he stood to earn in the next two seasons at the Bulldogs.
Klemmer isn't due back to training until mid-December given he represented Australia at the end of the year.
The Bulldogs have had several big-name players leave their club mid-contract in the past 12 months, with Klemmer joining the likes of James Graham, Aaron Woods and Moses Mbye.
https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/11/26...wcastle-knights-until-end-of-2023-nrl-season/