KNIGHTS coach Adam O'Brien is banking on "a good month of footy" to not only seal a spot in the play-offs, but provide enough confidence and momentum for Newcastle to do some damage when they get there.
Newcastle are among seven teams chasing the last two positions in the post-season and play another team embroiled in the dogfight, Cronulla, at Moreton Daily Stadium, Redcliffe on Sunday.
After last weekend's games, the Knights were ninth on the competition ladder, one position and two points ahead of the Sharks.
The Knights could potentially climb to outright seventh if results this week fall in their favour, and with games remaining against Canterbury, Gold Coast and Brisbane, their destiny is in their own hands.
Newcastle's season has been a roller-coaster ride, but after back-to-back victories against Canberra and the Broncos, they have a chance to get on a roll and potentially go into the finals with six consecutive wins under their belt.
"We've kept punching away and put ourselves in striking distance," O'Brien told the Newcastle Herald.
"Now we just need to put together a good month of footy.
"We've been fighting away all year without the main guys in our spine.
"Kalyn [Ponga] has played only a handful of games. Same with Mitchell [Pearce].
"I'm really proud of how the boys have been able to hang in there, and I firmly believe our best footy is still in front of us."
A win by Newcastle would effectively nail the coffin lid on one of their direct rivals. A loss, however, would keep the Sharks in the hunt and leave the Knights under immense pressure.
"There's a lot of teams there fighting for seventh and eighth spot. We want it as much as the other teams that want to be part of that," Knights forward Tyson Frizell said. "We're doing everything we can in our preparation to give ourselves the opportunity to be there."
While Newcastle have a favourable draw and have tightened in to $1.55 to make the eight - after blowing out to $5 mid-season - recent history suggests Knights fans should take nothing for granted.
In 2019, the Knights were in a similar position, only to endure a late-season implosion that cost then coach Nathan Brown his job.
Last year they blew home-ground advantage in the first round of the finals after an inexplicable 36-6 boilover against Gold Coast in the last round of the regular season.
All of which suggests Sunday's clash with the desperate Sharks, who have not beaten Newcastle since 2018, shapes as a real danger game for O'Brien's troops.
"We're going to have to defend well," O'Brien said.
"That's our mindset. Cronulla like to attack, they throw the ball around, and we've got to stop them."
The Sharks will no doubt be intent on shutting down Ponga, who has scored five tries against them in their past two showdowns.
