Newcastle have had a rollercoaster preparation for their NRL clash with premiers Melbourne with star halfback Mitchell Pearce set to miss the match with a hamstring injury.
The Knights had a win of sorts when the match was relocated from Melbourne's feared AAMI Park to neutral territory on the Gold Coast.
And in a further boost, game-breaking fullback Kalyn Ponga came through Queensland's Origin win unscathed and is expected to line up on Saturday night.
But Pearce is likely to be missing after suffering a hamstring issue, compounded by the Knights being unable to send the halfback for scans because of the NRL bubble.
"Mitchell Pearce has got some awareness in his hamstring at the moment," coach Adam O'Brien said on Friday.
"We haven't been able to scan him as yet so until that happens I'd lean toward withdrawing Mitchell and play the long game with him rather than risk him.
"It's been a really indifferent and challenging week so the smart thing to do is to be patient there."
While they were hopeful of Pearce being able to leave the team resort to get a scan late Friday, O'Brien said that Phoenix Crossland was on stand-by.
But Ponga had "pulled up well" after starring in the Maroons' shock Origin victory over NSW on Wednesday night.
O'Brien said playing Melbourne as the second leg of a double-header at Cbus Super Stadium was a positive with the match switched after a COVID-19 outbreak in Victoria.
"It doesn't guarantee a result but you don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that Melbourne in Melbourne are a pretty formidable opponent," he said.
Meanwhile, the Knights welcomed news that forwards Daniel and Jacob Saifiti have signed contract extensions with the club.
Daniel, a current NSW player and co-captain of the club, will remain a Knight until at least the end of the 2026 season while Jacob inked a two-year extension.
"It's a huge boost for the group to hear both of those boys have signed," O'Brien said.
"We can build a team around those guys."
Daniel missed the Blues' final Origin match with a rib cartilage injury but O'Brien said he was hopeful his star prop would play against Melbourne.
