KNIGHTS coach Adam O'Brien feels like a "super fit" Mitch Barnett will help bolster Newcastle's forward pack while hinting Dane Gagai and Kurt Mann could also return as the club looks to snap a seven-game losing streak.
O'Brien reckons Barnett, back from suspension and having recently announced he's leaving the Knights next year, looks in top shape ahead of Friday's clash with the Bulldogs in Brisbane.
Warriors-bound Barnett was sent off in round three and has been sidelined for each of the ensuing defeats, which now sees Newcastle anchored to the bottom of the competition ladder alongside Canterbury.
"We're very pleased to have him back. He brings aggression, he brings attitude and he brings experience," O'Brien said from the Knights' base on the Sunshine Coast on Monday.
"He's super fit. It's the fittest we've seen him in a long time. He's very keen to make up for lost time, knowing we haven't won a game since he's been suspended. Having to watch from the sidelines has been tough."
O'Brien expects to have multiple players back on deck for Magic Round's opening fixture at Suncorp Stadium.
This potentially includes Gagai, who suffered a fractured cheekbone just over a fortnight ago, and Mann, who missed the last two outings with an ankle injury, both earlier than anticipated.
"He [Gagai] is a chance for this week actually," O'Brien said.
"We'll know more tomorrow afternoon obviously [when the team is officially named] ... but Dane's up here with us, so is Kurt Mann and Mitch Barnett. We've got a few to come back this week."
O'Brien says having Origin representative Gagai on the park is like "extra coaching staff being out there the way he directs some of the younger guys around".
Tyson Frizell (illness), Brodie Jones (elbow) and Sauaso Sue (concussion) didn't play in Saturday's 36-16 loss to the Cowboys in Townsville and the trio still need to pass fitness tests this week.
Edrick Lee finds himself in a similar boat having failed a HIA on the weekend.
The young halves combination of Phoenix Crossland and Tex Hoy may continue with doubt surrounding Adam Clune (knee) and Jake Clifford (personal).
Mid-season recruit Anthony Mildford (contract) isn't available until next round.
Jack Johns has been cleared of a fracture, but the arm has been broken previously with screws inserted. It's unsure how long he will be in the casualty ward.
In relation to meeting the Bulldogs, also with four competition points, O'Brien admitted "two teams are going to turn up desperate" but doesn't see this 80 minutes as make or break for the Knights.
"Our full focus is on the Bulldogs and getting our processes right. We're not even halfway through the competition yet so we know there's still plenty of time," he said.
O'Brien says Canterbury "starts very fast and likes to be out in front. We need to match motors with them because we know they'll come at us".
The coach didn't weigh into playing at Suncorp Stadium, where the Knights have won three of their last five matches.
"It doesn't matter where we play them, we've just got to be better," he said.
During their seven-game losing streak, Newcastle has conceded 232 points and scored 62. More than half of those points were leaked in the last three games - Cowboys (36-16), Storm (50-2), Eels (39-2) - letting in 125 and posting just 20.
Fifty days have passed since the Knights opened the 2022 campaign with back-to-back wins against the Roosters (20-6) and Tigers (26-4),
They next host the Broncos at McDonald Jones Stadium on May 19 and tackle the Warriors in Redcliffe nine days later before a bye weekend.
