Newcastle has parted company with veteran trainer Hayden Knowles, less than a month after the guru's peculiar war of wards with Knights hardman David Klemmer.
Having worked within an array of clubs across the course of his stint steering first-grade outfits, Knowles' know-how was initially brought to the Hunter under wraps.
However, after going toe-to-toe with Klemmer following Newcastle's deflating 24-10 loss to the Dogs on July 31, Knowles' tenure at McDonald Jones Stadium has come to a close, per reports fromย Wide World of Sports.
After entering the field to relay a message to Klemmer, Knowles was reportedly told to "shut the f**k up" by the Origin forward, resulting in a suspended fine and a one-week stand down dished out to the 28-year-old.
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Knowles had his own say on the incident within the pages of The Sydney Morning Herald, claiming that Klemmer's selfish attitude was at the heart of his concerns.
"The swearing wasn't the issue. That's what everyone is losing sight of," Knowles said.
"For me it's not personal with Klem. It wouldn't matter if it was Kalyn Ponga, Nathan Cleary, Junior Paulo or Payne Haas.
"It wouldn't matter who it is. If someone puts themselves before the team, I would forever die by the fact that I won't tolerate that behaviour. The behaviour is what I was against, not the person.
"The swearing is not the issue. Swearing doesn't bother me. I feel like my reputation has taken a hit. I've worked 23 years to build that."
Though his verbal stoush with the contracted prop is certain to have played a role in his release, the recent arrival of Peter Parr as the Knights' Head of Football suggested a cleanse of house was on the cards.
With a deal to remain in the Hunter for the 2023 season, Klemmer is set to earn around $800,000 for his services to the struggling outfit.
