Former Knight Adam Clydsdale enjoying new life with Canberra Raiders

ADAM Clydsdale was in the middle of renovating his home when he was told he was being squeezed out at the Knights with a year to run on his contract.

NRL Rd 23 - Knights v Warriors

ADAM Clydsdale was in the middle of renovating his Newcastle home late last season when he was told he was being squeezed out at the Knights with a year to run on his contract.

“I was shattered,” Clydsdale said.

“It came right out of the blue and I never wanted to leave. I’d been at the Knights right through the juniors and was looking to establish myself as the club’s long term hooker.

“That was the plan anyway.”

Five months on, the disappointment has more than eased for the former Scone Thoroughbred thanks to a smooth transition into the Canberra Raiders squad where he will be English hooker Josh Hodgson’s understudy.

“Yeah, it’s been great here — the coaching staff is awesome and we’ve got a good young squad on the rise,” he said.

“At one stage, there was a chance I might go to Melbourne where I would have been able to learn from Cameron Smith.

“But that fell through and then it looked like I would have to head to England, which wasn’t what I wanted at this stage of my career.

“So to get this opportunity with the Raiders — it’s turned out to be a really good move to be honest.”

As fate would have it, Clydsdale has not had to wait long for his first baptism of fire with the Raiders coming up against his old club in a trial at Orange on Saturday.

It is a prelude to their round 3 clash at Hunter Stadium on March 19.

Newcastle's Adam Clydsdale after Dragons try during NRL match St. Geoge-Illlawarra Dragons v Newcastle Knights at Jubilee, Kogarah. Picture. Phil Hillyard

While excited about the challenge, he says there are mixed feelings about facing his former teammates including one of his closest friends, Knights hooker Tyler Randell, who he still speaks to regularly.

“I’m really looking forward to it but it might be a bit emotional. I’m not really sure how I’ll feel,” he said.

“There will probably be a bit said out there — a bit of friendly sledging. Not much has been said yet but I reckon that might change as the game gets a bit closer.”

One thing Clydsdale won’t be doing is taking the field trying to prove anything to Knights coach Nathan Brown.

“What’s happened has happened. It’s a business these days,” he said.

“As I said, it was pretty shattering at the time but you move on from it and that’s what I’ve done.”

Originally published as Former Knight Adam Clydsdale enjoying new life with Canberra Raiders