FOR four years, he was a mate, a mentor, a consummate professional and a crowd favourite.
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But on Friday night, Wests Tigers enforcer David Klemmer will be nothing less than a formidable rival with an axe to grind when he returns to McDonald Jones Stadium for the first time since leaving the Newcastle Knights.
Klemmer, the former NSW Origin and Test forward, was Newcastle's pack leader from 2019 until the end of last season, making 81 appearances in the red and blue.
He was hoping to play out his career with the Knights, only to find himself squeezed out late last year when Newcastle officials negotiated a release from the final season of his contract, allowing him sign a long-term deal with the Tigers.
Klemmer's players' player award last season would give some idea how much his Newcastle teammates valued the towering 29-year-old.
And they should have fresh memories of what a fierce opponent he is after the round-two clash between the Knights and the Tigers at Leichhardt Oval.
The Knights scored a memorable 14-12 victory, and the result clearly did not sit well with Klemmer, who became embroiled in a post-match confrontation with Newcastle halfback Jackson Hastings.
Four months down the track, big "Klem" has a chance to square the ledger on Friday by potentially delivering a mortal blow to Newcastle's tenuous finals aspirations.
Knights forward Lachlan Fitzgibbon joked that Klemmer had been uncontactable in the led-up to Friday's return bout.
"I think he's blocked my number for the week," Fitzgibbon said. "But obviously he'll have a massive point to prove first game back here, after leaving last year.
"He was pretty fired up at the back end of the last game, in round two. It was a close game, and we all know Dave's a passionate player.
"He's a great player, so he'll be out here to have a big game, and I'm looking forward to playing him again."
One Newcastle player to benefit from Klemmer's move to the Tigers is Kiwi-born prop Leo Thompson, who has played in all 16 games this season - including 15 appearances in the starting line-up.
Thompson said last year Klemmer "looked after me and showed me around the paddock", but his departure created a vacancy.
"You're always disappointed when someone leaves the team," Thompson said. "You train together all year, so you build a close bond. But when he left, I thought there was an opportunity for me."
Yet to miss a game this season for the Tigers, Klemmer is averaging 145 attacking metres per outing, and has made 414 tackles with only three misses.
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