Gone are the days of loyalty': Mbye says Klemmer's Knights move a sign of the times
Christian Nicolussi
The pending move of David Klemmer to Newcastle should come as the biggest wake-up call to rugby league fans that loyalty in the NRL is its rarest commodity.
"It's funny it involves Klem because he's one of the most loyal blokes you'll meet," Klemmer's good friend and former Canterbury teammate Moses Mbye told Fairfax Media. "At the end of the day in the modern game even coaches are now [breaking contract]. You have to do what's best for you and your family.S
"If Klem goes to Newcastle he'll get himself a nice pay packet, he's got a family to support. Gone are the days of loyalty.
"You only have to look at the leadership in the game with coaches changing clubs. That's how it goes know. If you get an opportunity you take it.
"That's why you can't hold a grudge against Ivan [Cleary], you can't hold a grudge against Klem. That's the way it goes now and it will continue that way.
"One-club players will become more rare."
Valentine Holmes continued the trend of breaking contracts when he walked out on Cronulla this week to pursue an NFL career. Scenes in Brisbane this week have become farcical as Wayne Bennett returned to the club - seemingly only to await an imminent swap deal with South Sydney's Anthony Seibold, even though they are signed up their respective clubs for another 12 months.
John Sutton at South Sydney, Mitch Aubusson at the Sydney Roosters and Paul Gallen at Cronulla are the last of their kind.
Klemmer's rich four-year deal with the Knights is expected to be rubber-stamped next week.
Former Bulldog Mbye was squeezed out of Belmore before June 30 and lured to the Tigers by Cleary, only for the coach to return to Penrith with two years to run on his own deal.
While Mbye believed Cleary's integrity would have taken a hit with the general public and fans, "those who know him or have worked with him know he's a quality guy".
"The outcome is we've got a quality coach and a premiership coach on board in Michael Maguire," Mbye said. "Ivan had an opportunity come up and it was too good to refuse. It ticked all his boxes. He got to coach his son. You can't begrudge him for that. Not in the modern game.
"Maguire has got the credentials to get us to premiership contenders.
"He's got a reputation for hard work, he's passionate, he's had a 12-month spell from the game and no doubt he's kept the fire in the belly and he's raring to go."
Only rusted-on fans expect the Tigers to improve and end their seven-year NRL finals exile next year.
Mbye said the first thing that struck him when he arrived at Concord was the team's spirit, and now with Maguire's tough work ethic, things looked bright.
"We're not the most star-studded roster in the competition, we don't have a lot of Origin players and internationals, but we work hard for each other," Mbye said. "We beat a couple of the best sides in the competition only to bottom out a bit in the middle of the season. People can forget how much effort and how tiring it is for a young and inexperienced group to knock over the giants and then get up again. It can be taxing."
The sight of a fit Josh Reynolds was one of the early highlights at the joint venture the past few weeks, while Zane Musgrove will add some grunt up, front provided he can also remain fit.
The Tigers have one more spot to fill on their 30-man roster and are in the market for an outside back.
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https://www.canberratimes.com.au/sport/nrl/gone-are-the-days-of-loyalty-mbye-says-klemmer-s-knights-move-a-sign-of-the-times-20181123-p50htm.html
