BIG-game veteran Dane Gagai has a sense of deja vu as the Newcastle Knights set their sights on the NRL finals.
Gagai had his first taste of play-off action with the Knights in 2013 when, under the coaching of Wayne Bennett, Newcastle transformed into post-season giant-killers by eliminating Canterbury and Melbourne in sudden-death showdowns, before bowing out against eventual premiers the Sydney Roosters in the preliminary final.
A decade down the track, the 32-year-old centre reckons the 2023-model Knights are capable of having a similar impact at the business end of this campaign.
The Knights have strung together seven consecutive wins to climb from 14th on the competition ladder to seventh, with two regular-season rounds remaining.
"When you're in a team that's playing some good footy, it's a pretty special feeling," Gagai said. "I'm getting that same feeling here with this group.
"We're all playing for each other, and when you've got that chemistry and an identity in attack and defence, and a bunch of boys that care about each other, then these are some of the results you can get."
If Newcastle beat Cronulla at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday, they will secure a berth in the finals, and if they also win their final-round clash with St George Illawarra (away), they can potentially clinch a home game in the finals.
Gagai said the Knights had every reason to be confident.
"Obviously we've come up against the top teams and we've always put in a good performance," he said.
"We've beaten three of the teams in the top five, and Penrith beat us in golden point and the Broncos beat us in the last minute.
"So we've shown we've got the capabilities of doing it, we've just got to make sure that, as cliched as it sounds, we put in an 80-minute performance each week.
"That means starting well and not allowing teams back into the game.
"When we complete our sets, and we aim up in defence, I believe we're one of the best teams in the comp."
A veteran of 14 play-off games, including five preliminary finals and South Sydney's 2021 grand final defeat against Penrith, Gagai needs no reminding that premiership windows open and shut without notice.
In 2013, the Knights were underwhelming for most of the season, limping into the finals in seventh spot, before launching a belated title assault.
"I wouldn't say this is a better team," Gagai said.
"We had a lot of quality players back then. But it's got that same feeling.
"Obviously I came here halfway through 2012, so I was pretty new to the squad, but there was a lot of closeness within that group. In saying that, I think we've got something special here this year.
"We had Jackson Hastings out injured, so Adam Clune came in and did a phenomenal job [in last week's 29-10 with against South Sydney]. And you need that next-man-up mentality."
Gagai boldly declared Newcastle have not yet played their best football.
"There's still a lot of areas we need to improve," he said.
