KNIGHTS enforcer Daniel Saifiti has no doubt this is the best Newcastle team he has played in but warned they still have to validate that opinion in the play-offs.
"We're not there yet," Saifiti told the Newcastle Herald.
After a six-game winning streak, the Knights have climbed to seventh on the points table, with three regular-season rounds remaining, starting against South Sydney at a sold-out McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday.
Currently in his eighth season in the NRL, Saifiti endured one of the toughest initiations imaginable, collecting two consecutive wooden spoons to kick off his top-grade career.
He survived that to feature in Newcastle's finals campaigns of 2020 and 2021, when on both occasions the Knights qualified seventh and bowed out in the opening week of the post-season.
Now they have a chance to surpass that and potentially win Newcastle's first play-off game since 2013.
Saifiti replied "definitely" when asked if this was his best opportunity to do some damage at the business end of the season.
"We've had some good teams in the past, probably with more experience, but I just feel that this team here, we're really close, we've jelled well together and we know what works for us," Saifiti said.
"We know what type of footy team we are, and when we do it well, we've shown we can match it with any team.
"When we don't do it well, we put ourselves under the pump, but then we identify where we went wrong and try to learn from that.
"So yeah, I think it's the best [Knights] team I've been a part of, for sure."
The seven-game NSW Origin representative said back-to-back home showdowns with fellow play-off aspirants Souths and Cronulla would be the perfect preparation for the finals.
"We're coming up against two strong teams next and it's our chance to prove how good we are," Saifiti said.
"Souths and the Sharks are both quality sides and they're back winning games, so we know we're going to have to be at our best."
Newcastle will probably need two wins to ensure a play-off finish and, if they were to win all three of their remaining games, they could potentially secure a home final for the first time since 2006, which Saifiti said would be a "massive" advantage.
"We talk about bringing the crowd into the game," he said. "Whether that's someone coming out of the line to put a shot on, or someone making a big run.
"We love it when that gets the crowd going with the Newcastle chant, because it helps us find an extra gear."
The 27-year-old said despite last week's 42-6 win against Canterbury, the Knights were not satisfied with their performance.
"We need to be a lot better than we were in that second half," Saifiti said.
"I think we completed something like two from 10 of our sets. No disrespect to the Bulldogs, but if you do that against the good teams, they'll punish you.
"I think we'll learn a few lessons from that."
Saifiti returned against the Bulldogs after missing two games with a quadriceps injury and said he was quite content to continue being used as an interchange impact player, behind his twin brother Jacob and the rapidly improving Leo Thompson in the starting front row.
"You don't fix what's not broken," Saifiti said.
"Jacob and Leo have been doing an amazing job these last few weeks, and us three have got a good balance at the moment.
"I'm happy to play my role off the bench. Whoever starts or comes off the bench, we all know what's required. It is what it is."
Saifiti revealed he was not scheduled to return from his injury until this week, but he made himself available because Jacob was in doubt with a strained hamstring.
The belated inclusion of both twins was a bonus for Knights coach Adam O'Brien.
"Yeah, awesome," O'Brien said after last week's win.
"Jacob was touch and go all week. I think Daniel did a lot more training. Jacob didn't do anything with us."
