When it's the greatest of all time criticising you, Newcastle hooker Jayden Brailey says it really "hits home".
After a disastrous collapse against South Sydney, leaking three tries in eight minutes after leading 16-6, the Knights eventually lost 40-28 on Friday to a Rabbitohs side missing six NRL regulars, including three Origin players.
The defeat, their sixth in eight homes games this season, drew a stunning public rebuke from Knights legend and part-time coaching consultant Andrew Johns.
The Eighth Immortal described the performance as likely the side's worst of the year and said there was "a real soft underbelly to some of the aspects to the game".
He said if the team was to have any hope of a late revival this season it would have to "come from the players".
"The amount of coaching they're getting, they're getting a lot of great coaching behind the scenes," he said.
"But it's got to come from within. It's got to be the players. In particular, the leaders.
"The leaders within the group have got to grab them and say: 'Righto, this is what we're doing, let's get on with it'."
While Knights captain Kalyn Ponga missed Friday's loss, on-field leadership is what the team has, at times, appeared to lack this season.
But after making a return from injury off the bench against Souths, it's leadership that Brailey is hoping he can now add to the side.
During his near six-month stint on the sidelines after rupturing an Achilles in pre-season training, Brailey found being a leader a tricky task.
He was named club captain but, often isolated completing his own recovery, he found it hard to set standards like usual.
"It's been a challenge for me this year," Brailey told the Newcastle Herald.
"Finding my voice when I haven't been out there on the field.
"You feel like you're having a go at players and you're not actually out there and putting your own body on the line.
"Now that I'm doing that, back on the field with the boys, I will try and step into that role and help KP and Friz [Tyson Frizell].
"That's one thing I'm looking forward to doing."
Brailey, who will lift his contribution to potentially a full game against Manly on Saturday after his 40-minute spell last week, heard the criticism from Johns this week.
He said the stinging public comments came in addition to some direct feedback, something the club's playmakers receive weekly.
"It's hard, it hits home when the greatest of all time, not just at the club but in the NRL, has those views," Brailey, 26, said.
"We've got a WhatsApp ourselves in the spine and every week he gives us feedback and stuff to work on.
"Everything he says, we're like sponges. We're really lucky we've got someone like him here invested in the club. We've got to use him up as much as we can."
Brailey made his 95th NRL appearance on Friday after missing Newcastle's first 15 games this season.
His ruptured Achilles in January was the second long-term injury he has had since joining the club from Cronulla.
In only his second game wearing the red and blue in 2020, he tore the ACL in his right knee and missed the rest of the season.
"They were both very hard. I think I took this one a little bit tougher, particularly at the start," Brailey said.
"I think I was in a lot of denial for the first six weeks because I felt like, 'aw, this shouldn't be happening again'.
"I was lucky I've got a really good support network at home and at the club here as well.
"They worked high and low to get me back as fit and strong as I could ... I can't thank them enough."
With his best football still to come, Brailey said he was feeling fit in mind and body and was "excited" to build his combinations with halves Adam Clune and Anthony Milford, who he played with for the first time last week.
"Cluney steers the ship really well and has a really good kicking game," Brailey said. "Off the cuff, Milf is just a freak at his best."
"They both being different things so we're trying really hard to work on those combos.
"The more footy we play together, the better we will be."
