2020 Dally M preview: David Klemmer prop of the year contender
David Klemmer is tough and fearsome on the field and a gentle giant off it. But an encounter with The Daily Telegraph’s Dean Ritchie almost left the NRL reporter unconscious.
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David Klemmer is so powerful he doesn’t know his own strength ... Or maybe he does.
The 200cm, 116kg Newcastle Knights prop is a giant of a man but a kid at heart.
And it was a mix of brawn and his playful nature that almost resulted in this reporter going down for the count after a light-hearded run-in with the NSW and Australian representative made me go light-headed.
It’s little wonder rival teams fear Klemmer on the football field and why he is top of the conversation about the NRL’s best props.
Check out the top contenders to be named the NRL’s best centre and vote in our poll.
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DAVID KLEMMER
He has been at the top for six years now playing in the middle — and he’s only 26.
As Andrew Johns once said, Klemmer is “no nonsense.”
He is revered by rivals as one of the game’s toughest opponents. Resilient on the field, a knockabout bloke off it. He has led the Newcastle line with distinction since defecting from Canterbury at the end of the 2018 season.
This reporter can vouch for his unbelievable strength on account of the fact he once almost choked me out. I’ve built a relationship with Klemmer ever since he became a mainstay in the NSW Origin team in 2015, crossing paths during week-long camps on the NSW north coast.
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On one occasion Klemmer put me in a headlock as a joke. He laughed as he wrapped his formidable forearm around my throat. While he thought it was all fun and games, I couldn’t breathe. Had he held his grip a moment longer I’d have been passed out on the floor.
But I’m sure I’ll get him in the rematch.
JARED WAEREA-HARGREAVES
Has always played on the edge – and that’s how the Roosters want it. Experienced and aggressive, Waerea-Hargreaves has become a big-game player who physically leads from the front. A player who teammates want alongside them, a front-rower rivals fear and respect. Bloody good bloke off the field too.
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SIO SIUA TAUKEIAHO
The NRL’s most improved front-rower. In April last year, league legend Mark Geyer claimed Taukeiaho was the best prop in rugby league.
And to think he was unwanted by the Warriors.
Taukeiaho is as responsible for the international rise of Tonga as Jason Taumalolo.
Hard running, even harder tackling, plus he can kick goals. How many other forwards, let alone elite ones, can lay claim to that?
He was a runner up for last year’s Golden Boot and has developed into a leader at Bondi.
PAYNE HAAS
This giant – weighing 120kg and standing 194cm - could become the most feared prop in rugby league.
Wonderful mobility and fast for a big fella and can be totally dominant, even though he’s only recently turned 20.
Roared into State of Origin last year but couldn’t sustain his powerful form over an entire season. That’s his challenge in 2020.
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JOSH PAPALII
Ricky Stuart declared Papalii was the best player in the NRL late last year — and that was difficult to argue.
He physically and aggressively led Canberra into the NRL grand final with a series of ferocious performances.
Papalii has become more dangerous since finding his right body weight.
Boyd Cordner once said ‘Papa’ was virtually impossible to stop. “You just have to find ways to limit his opportunities.”