KNIGHTS coach Adam O'Brien has accused his players of believing they felt "entitled" to win games after a costly 18-12 loss to last-placed Canterbury at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday.
In torrential rain, the Knights trailed the cellar dwellers 18-0 early in the second half before scoring two quick tries to leave the game in the balance for the last 10 minutes.
Adding to Newcastle's woes, hookers Andrew McCullough (hamstring) and Connor Watson (Achilles) suffered season-ending injuries, while back-rower Sione Mata'utia also limped off a few minutes before full-time.
The Knights face mighty Melbourne Storm on Sunday and will need a dramatic form reversal to have any chance against the team who have beaten them in eight consecutive games.
O'Brien queried the attitude of his players, saying some had an unwarranted "sense of entitlement" and expected to win games without putting in the necessary effort.
"The team needs to understand it's the NRL," O'Brien said.
"You need to turn up. Any team can beat any team ... week to week, we can't stay on task for 80 minutes."
O'Brien said the 3521 diehards who braved the weather deserved better.
"I'm embarrassed for the people that sat out in the rain for 80 minutes," O'Brien said.
The Knights were beaten 26-12 by Melbourne in round five and should need no reminding about the likely outcome if they are below their best in Sunday's showdown at Sunshine Coast Stadium.
"There's no tougher assignment than playing Storm when they're red-hot," O'Brien said. "They aren't going to feel sorry for us.
"They'll come at us hard. We need to pick ourselves up pretty quick."
There was a sense of deja vu about yesterday's result, after the Bulldogs produced a similar boilover last year against Newcastle, who rapidly lost form and confidence to crash out of the finals race.
O'Brien said whatever happened last season was "irrelevant", but Knights fans are entitled to be nervous after their team slipped from outright fourth to sixth.
Interim Canterbury coach Steve Georgallis praised his players for how "they kept on turning up" in defence. "It means everything to this group because they've put in efforts like that and haven't got the win," he said.
McCullough was replaced in the 24th minute by Watson, who followed him back into the sheds six minutes later.
Both are unlikely to play again this year.
Given that first-choice hooker Jayden Brailey needed a season-ending knee reconstruction after the round-two win against Wests Tigers, the Knights are expected to reinstate rookie Chris Randall for next Sunday's clash with Melbourne.
Canterbury opened the scoring in the 13th minute when veteran prop Aidan Tolman crashed over and held a 6-0 lead at half-time.
Tries by Raymond Faitala-Mariner and Jake Averillo in the 42nd and 47th minutes respectively gave the visitors a shock 18-0 lead.
The Knights hit back in the 61st minute when Kalyn Ponga and Tautau Moga combined to create a try for winger Hymel Hunt, reducing the deficit to 18-6.
Eight minutes later, Mata'utia scored and Ponga converted to make it a six-point ball game.
It was the second year in a row that Canterbury have produced a boilover after arriving in Newcastle on the bottom of the competition ladder.
It was the Bulldogs' second win of the season and their first under Georgiallis.
