Young players like Canterbury Bulldogs prop David Klemmer a light amid the dark days

[playon]

Laurie Daley
The Daily Telegraph
March 09, 2013 12:00AM


NO matter how dark it appears in the world of rugby league right now, there is always light.

You could turn on the TV tonight and watch a youngster by the name of David Klemmer run out for the Bulldogs in his first NRL game.

Klemmer is 19 and good judges are saying he is destined to be a rugby league superstar.

I have to admit I haven't seen a lot of him, but I've heard plenty about him. The 120kg teenage giant is being talked up as the new Glenn Lazarus.

I hope they're right.


Tonight Klemmer goes up against two Test props in James Tamou and Matt Scott when the Bulldogs take on the Cowboys in Gosford.
I can't wait to see how this kid handles himself when he gets thrown into the game off the bench, you talk about a tough initiation for a young prop. This is why I love the start of the season so much.

Right now, every club has a player like Klemmer in their ranks, a kid just looking for his chance to give it his best shot.

Some of these kids won't even being playing NRL this weekend. They might be in the Holden Cup under-20s competition, or still playing junior reps.




All week we've been reading about the crisis surrounding this Australian Crime Commission investigation into drugs and corruption in sport.

It's a serious issue, there is no denying that. But like every time there is a crisis in our game, the football is what saves us. It's been that way for more than 100 years.

When we lose stars, we wonder how they can ever be replaced, yet there is always someone out there ready to step up.

Adversity breeds opportunity.


And despite all the negative publicity the game of rugby league seems to attract, I can't tell you how lucky I am to have had it as a big part of my life. I remember back to how it all kicked off for me when I was playing Jersey Flegg for the Canberra Raiders in 1987.

I was 17 at the time and Wayne Bennett was Canberra's first grade coach.

I'd played an under-19s game one Saturday, it was around Origin time, and I thought I went pretty well.

In those days all the contracted players would train every Tuesday night with the top squad, all three grades plus the junior contracted players.


Read More http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...id-the-dark-days/story-e6frexnr-1226593582851

 

[Mr Invisible]

He writes well Daley does.

A nice article

 

[Bob dog]

It's only dark days if you let the rednecks make it like that, just hoping for some Bulldog fighting spirit, Klemmer won't win it for us, it's a team effort, how much pressure do they wanna put on him?

 

[Guardog]

I haven't seen much of him myself, and I'm looking forward to seeing him in First Grade. Give it your best mate.

 

[Mr Beast]

He writes well Daley does.

A nice article

Agree I must.

 

[the_crusader]

with all this hype Klemmer is moving into John Kite territory

 

[Dognacious]

He was solid tonight. Looked like a first grader. Didnt get a lot of opportunities.

 

[Doggies Fan]

Agree, liked what I saw from him while on the field. He's an 'athletic' type for a forward of his age, typically 19 year olds that weigh 120kg have plenty of puppy fat but not this fella.

 

[Stoofy]

He will go well.

 

[Sandra's Bollocks]

with all this hype Klemmer is moving into John Kite territory

yes desmond.

 

[Barba]

liked what i saw

 

[HARRIGAN]

A few big kids coming through. The Burgess twins look good too. I thought he went well for a 19 year old today though, certainly compared to a few of the "stars" in our pack. When we get some of our guys back he will drop out I reckon but we dont want to run him into the ground too early.