Knights’ recruit Frizell prepared to live with ‘sour grapes’ ahead of Dragons reunion

Former Dragons star Tyson Frizell has hit back at those questioning his loyalty to the Red V during his time at the club after his switch to the Knights in the off-season.

Frizell moved to Newcastle after 165 games for the Dragons with some fans and players unhappy with the way he left his long-time club.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported Frizell feels no ill will towards his old club, but baulked at suggestions he ever tried to break contract with the Dragons to join the Knights early.

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“Not at all. I wish I would have been able to bring more success to the club when I was there.” Frizell told The Sydney Morning Herald of his time at the Dragons.

“I felt like I did everything I could to be able to play well for that club and give it an opportunity to succeed. I guess I wasn’t able to do it, [but] I went out on my own terms.

“I think there was probably a little bit of speculation about wanting me to leave early. At no time at all was I looking to move on.

“I am a man of my word – I signed a contract and I was going to live by it. If the club wanted to get rid of me, that would have been a different story.

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“I take pride in the way I play footy and I wanted to be happy coming off that field knowing I had done everything for my teammates.”

The Dragons have one of the most passionate supporter bases in the NRL, so Frizell leaving to join rivals Newcastle was never going to be an easy pill to swallow.

The Origin and Kangaroos star admitted, he like all the Dragons players felt the pressure to perform while at the club, but if there is bad blood with some fans and players about the way he left that is something he is prepared to live with.

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“You do feel the outside noise and how passionate the [Dragons] fans are wanting to be successful,” Frizell said.

“As a player when you are in that bubble, you know how desperate it is. People from the outside think you are just turning it up and not giving it a crack. But we do everything we can to prepare so well to be able to get a win on the weekend.

“It is a chapter in the past and I am looking forward to creating a new one with this side. If there is sour grapes there from a few blokes, so be it. It is footy. These things happen. You have to get on with it.

“You do create a lot of friends being at the club so long … but once you cross that line, I am pretty much a no-emotion kind of guy, get my job done and go about my work.”

The eight placed Knights host the fifth place Dragons in Round 4 at McDonald Jones Stadium in Frizell’s first clash with his old club since joining Newcastle.

Originally published asKnights’ recruit Frizell prepared to live with ‘sour grapes’ ahead of Dragons reunion

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