KNIGHTS chief executive Philip Gardner has backed coach Adam O'Brien to turn the embattled team around and believes they can still reach this season's finals.
And Melbourne mastermind Craig Bellamy has also voiced strong support for his former understudy, describing O'Brien as "an outstanding coach" whose team was going through a tough stretch.
The Knights have nosedived from competition leaders after two rounds to last rung on the ladder, after a six-game losing streak culminating in Sunday's 50-2 thrashing from the Storm at McDonald Jones Stadium.
The slump has coincided with a horror run of injuries and suspensions that has sidelined first-graders Jayden Brailey, Dane Gagai, Mitch Barnett, Lachlan Fitzgibbon, Hymel Hunt, Kurt Mann, Dom Young, Mat Croker and Jirah Momoisea for extended periods.
It is Newcastle's worst sequence of results since a six-game losing rut in 2019.
That run of outs ultimately cost then coach Nathan Brown his job, but Gardner has expressed confidence in O'Brien, who steered Newcastle into the finals in 2020 and 2021 and is under contract for another two seasons.
"The coach is under no pressure whatsoever," Gardner told the Newcastle Herald.
"We've got the right coach and right staff.
"With Adam and [football manager] Danny Buderus and [high-performance manager] Hayden Knowles, we've got a group there who are as good as anyone in the game.
"The challenge we've got is injuries and disruptions to the team. We were the only team who lost their seven and their nine before the season started.
"The Achilles injury to Jayden Brailey came on top of Mitchell Pearce asking for a release, so we lost both of those key players before a ball was kicked.
"So we've had to change the entire way the team plays, get the structures right with that, and we've been hit with a huge run of injuries.
"Wait to see how we go when the players come back.
"Once we get Jayden back, Barney back, Lachy Fitzgibbon and Gags, and get [Anthony] Milford onto the park, we'll be a different side.
"We just need some patience, with the coaching staff and the team. Support them, help them as much as we can during this difficult period, and we'll get the rewards for that."
Gardner acknowledged that "some of the performances have been substandard" and said O'Brien had been the first to admit that.
"The Storm gave us a lesson," Gardner said. "They showed us the level we need to be playing at. So in some respects, they've done us a favour. We can clearly see where we're short and what we need to do."
Despite their six consecutive defeats, the Knights are still only four points adrift of the top eight, and in their remaining 16 games play Canterbury, Canberra, Gold Coast and Brisbane twice apiece.
"You've got two sides [Penrith and Melbourne] who are well and truly ahead of everyone else," Gardner said.
"Because of that, most teams are going 'win one, lose one', so there's still an opportunity for us to make the semis.
"It's going to be difficult, given where we are, but if we can get on a good run in the second half of the season, it's possible.
"We still have to get our players back and, in our favour, we don't have to play Melbourne again and we play Penrith at home during the middle of State of Origin.
"We've had a very difficult draw so far, but hopefully it's not as tough for the second half of the competition.
"We play the Bulldogs twice and the Tigers again, and some other teams who have also been struggling a bit. So there's a chance.
"We need to play better, and everyone knows that, including the coach and the players.
"But I think we're still a chance."
The Knights have now lost their past three home games by a combined scoreline of 119-10, and Sunday's crowd of 15,895 was down almost 10,000 after their 39-2 loss to Parramatta a week earlier (25,169).
Gardner said Melbourne never drew as well as the traditional Sydney clubs, but added: "Definitely poor performances at home hurt the crowd numbers. Fans don't want to come and watch their side get towelled up.
"That's certainly an issue for us, but we've got the best supporters in the game and we hope they turn up in a couple of weeks for our Thursday-night game against the Broncos."
Meanwhile, Bellamy said he expected to be in contact with O'Brien this week after inflicting a fourth straight defeat on his former assistant. Melbourne have won their past two games against Newcastle by a margin of 98-6.
"I'm not quite sure what to say, to be quite honest, but we'll have a chat during the week at some stage," Bellamy said. "I'm not quite sure when.
"He's obviously doing it a bit tough at the moment. The whole team and club is doing it tough.
"One thing Newcastle has always been famous for is it's a tough town and they fight their way out of the difficulties they're in, and I can't see the Knights being any different."
Bellamy said "without a doubt" O'Brien was a quality coach.
"All I can go on is what he did at our club, and he was magnificent for our club," Bellamy said. "His work ethic and his knowledge and how he worked with the players was second to none, so he's an outstanding coach."
