It's a casualty list that stretches as long as your arm that includes the club's three first-string hookers and two Origin representative forwards.
But coach Adam O'Brien is adamant the Newcastle Knights' deepening injury crisis won't be used as an excuse as the club prepares for the run home to the finals starting with a challenging same-day trip to the Sunshine Coast to take on the in-form Melbourne Storm on Sunday.
More than a quarter of Newcastle's entire squad is unavailable for the game while four of the club's eight injured players - Jayden Brailey, Andrew McCullough, Connor Watson and Tim Glasby - won't be back this season.
The Knights loss to the Bulldogs last Sunday was compounded by season-ending injuries to McCullough and Watson while backrower Sione Mata'utia added himself to the toll late in the game when he limped off with an ankle injury that requires surgery and a six week stint on the sideline.
O'Brien concedes his side has had no luck with injuries but claims the club spent the entire off-season talking about being resilient and overcoming any adversity and that's the attitude they will take into the remainder of the season.
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"The bottom line is we have trained as an entire squad since the start of pre-season training last November," he said.
"Our mantra since then is we are a club, not a team and I always said after the virus stopped the competition that it was very likely because of the circumstances and the fact we'd be playing 18 rounds straight without a break that we would probably need just about everyone at some stage. That's how it's panning out.
"I can guarantee you there is absolutely no talk among the players or the staff about the injury situation. Other clubs have been hit as well. Obviously, we all feel for the guys who have been injured, particularly the long term ones. But we've got cover there and the players coming in have been training every bit as hard and they'll have faith shown in them to get the job done by the boys already there."
Rookie Chris Randall will start at hooker against the Storm and is back for the first time since his round 3 debut against Penrith while Josh King and Phoenix Crossland will be making their first appearances this season.
