Salary cap crunch: David Klemmer says he doesn’t want to leave Bulldogs, denies Eels link
DAVID Klemmer loves the Bulldogs and doesn’t want to leave but he says his first priority is looking after his young family if salary cap constraints force him out of Belmore.
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CANTERBURY have hit out at clubs who are treating them like a carcass and have put up the not-for-sale sign on Blues forward David Klemmer.
The Bulldogs are working through a salary cap mess left behind by the previous administration and former coach Des Hasler, which has left them vulnerable to opportunistic clubs.
Klemmer is reportedly on Parramatta’s hit list but Bulldogs CEO Andrew Hill was having none of it.
“The club has had no conversations with the Eels,’’ Hill said.
“If they or if any other clubs are interested, we are not interested in selling him.”
Yesterday morning Klemmer reiterated his desire to remain at Belmore and said playing for the Bulldogs was a “dream come true”.
But, although Klemmer is contracted to the club until the end of 2020, he understands that the modern-day game is a business and a tap on the shoulder could come any day.
“If you do get the tap, so be it,” Klemmer said.
“I’m contracted here at the club. I was a big supporter as a kid so it’s a dream every day to come and work here and play for the club.
“I know it’s a business as well. You have to look after your family but it would be pretty hard to leave here.”
Klemmer, 24, described speculation about his future as “frustrating” but said he had not been approached by the Eels and he wasn’t on the outer at Belmore.
It’s believed Canterbury have just $750,000 to spend next year with 14 players off contract.
The salary cap pressure has left the Bulldogs open to poaching attempts from rival clubs.
“No one has contacted me at all [from the Eels],” Klemmer said.
“No one has pulled me aside [at the Bulldogs]. I don’t know when they’ll do it … but I’d find it hard.”
Klemmer, who has been one of Canterbury’s best this year, wants to remain at the club but conceded any decision on his future would be made with his young family in mind.
“I don’t know what the salary cap is,’’ he said. “I know there has been talk that it is pretty tough at the moment.
“It’ll be pretty hard to leave. I’m a massive supporter of the club and passionate about the club as well.
“It would be very tough but I have to look after my kids and my family as well. I’ve got to look after myself as well.
“You just want to be honest ... you don’t want to be hearing it through media sources. I’m contracted here. We’ll see what happens.”
Complicating matters further is the fact that Klemmer has split from his manager David Riolo.
“Especially with [this] sort of stuff happening [being without a manager is hard],’’ Klemmer said.
“They can just sort it out but I just have to worry about playing footy and let my missus do all the other work.”
For now Klemmer is focused on the huge task of stopping the rampaging Andrew Fifita when his side takes on the in-form Cronulla on Sunday afternoon.
He said containing Fifita’s impact on the game would go a long way to securing back-to-back victories for the Bulldogs, something Dean Pay’s men desperately need.
“He’s been outstanding,’’ Klemmer said. “I thought on Sunday he was outstanding as a captain and he played really well.
“He really stood up, especially with (Paul) Gallen and (Wade) Graham out as well.
“It’s a credit to him the way he’s leading his team.
“It’s going to be fun. He’s always a hard man to take down. He has great footwork and he runs like a back.
“He gets the ball rolling for them, he’s a big body and tough to bring down. He’s a 120-plus kilos.
“It’s always good going up against someone like that. He’s a quality forward and it’s going to be a big game for us on Sunday.”
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Originally published as Salary cap crunch: David Klemmer says he doesn’t want to leave Bulldogs, denies Eels link
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