DAVID Klemmer's former Canterbury teammate Josh Reynolds has launched a spirited defence of the exiled Newcastle prop, declaring the Knights "don't deserve" a player of Klemmer's quality if they move him on for spraying a club trainer.
Klemmer was hit with a show-cause notice and dropped on Tuesday for Newcastle's clash with Wests Tigers after failing to come off the field when requested and then exchanging words with Knights trainer Hayden Knowles late in the 24-10 loss to the Bulldogs on Sunday.
The 28-year-old is facing the sack but both he and Knights management have said they can't comment until his disciplinary hearing is held. Klemmer has been forced to train on his own until the process is finalised.
Reynolds, who played with Klemmer at the Bulldogs, believes it would be the "the biggest joke ever" if he was axed for the incident.
"I honesty thought it was a gee-up," Reynolds, 33, told Sky Sports Radio.
"It's honestly the biggest joke I have ever, ever heard if they are even considering sacking him. First of all, when you sign a player the CEO will be like: 'I want you to be passionate for this jersey'.
"If you've got a guy there who doesn't want to come off, he never gets hooked and it's not like he was playing bad, he doesn't want to come off because he just wants to be out there. A guy who showed a bit of emotion because he doesn't want to come off ... and you're saying you're possibly going to sack him because of that?"
Storm legend and former Australian captain Cameron Smith was just as baffled.
"I am really confused as to why this is such a huge problem," he said. "In my experience, if there's an issue like this, it's dealt with in person after the match, and then we move on."
However, ex-Penrith prop Mark Geyer was critical of Klemmer's actions.
"It says he is trying to be above the team," Geyer said.
"No player in any team sport is above a teammate."
Reynolds, who recently left Super League club Hull FC, shared the view of many others that there must be more to the situation.
Amid reports of a potential player revolt at Newcastle over the affair, Reynolds claimed the Knights "don't deserve" a workhorse and professional like Klemmer should he be sacked solely for the on-field incident.
"In the heat of the moment, emotions are everywhere," Reynolds, a passionate player himself who made 160 NRL appearances, said.
"You may say some things and do some things that isn't you and I've done it thousands of times."
Whether there is more to the story remains to be seen.
The show-cause notice was issued a day after it emerged Paramatta had tried to loan Klemmer for the rest of this season, fuelling speculation the Knights are trying to offload the $800,000-a-year prop, who enters the fifth and final year of his contract next season.
The Knights have copped a barrage of criticism over recent days from their fans, already dismayed about the side's performances, over the Klemmer situation.
With five games left to play this season, the Knights are battling to avoid their fourth wooden spoon in eight years.
The team will drop to 15th if they lose to the resurgent Wests Tigers on Sunday.
In addition to Klemmer, the Knights will be without sidelined trio Kalyn Ponga, Lachlan Fitzgibbon and Leo Thompson for their trip to Campbelltown. Bradman Best is back in the side after overcoming a thumb injury.
The club is yet to issue an update on Ponga, who has been seeing specialists after suffering a concussion in the side's 42-12 loss to Roosters a fortnight ago. It was one of multiple head-knocks the 24-year-old has had this year.
