Newcastle is poised to ship former State of Origin prop David Klemmer down the road to Concord in a player swap with Wests Tigers.
Nine’s Danny Weidler reports Tigers five-eighth Jackson Hastings has signed a three-year deal with the Knights and “will start with the club within a week”.
In return the Tigers will get Klemmer, who had a good 2022 season form-wise for Newcastle but is eating up a significant chunk of the club’s salary cap – believed to be in the vicinity of $800,000 for next season.
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The switch will free up a large wad of money for the Knights as they continue their pursuit of a classy halfback.
Klemmer, who turns 29 next month, has played 19 Tests for Australia and 14 Origin games for New South Wales, but has not been seen on the representative stage since 2019.
Many pundits believed he was hard done by to be l eft out of Brad Fittler’s Blues squad this year and last.
Hastings, 26, heads to his fourth NRL club, having started his career at the Roosters then gone to Manly, which he left following a bust-up with Sea Eagles captain Daly Cherry-Evans.
Hastings spent three years in the Super League in England before joining the Tigers this year.
He helped the club to a mid-season revival of sorts, but ultimately was not in new coach Tim Sheens’ plans for season 2023.
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