Newcastle enforcer Daniel Saifiti claims performance anxiety has crippled the Knights' season and that players should look themselves in the mirror for the pressure put on coach Adam O'Brien.
Newcastle's win over Wests Tigers on Sunday marked just their third since April. The NRL club are now out of wooden-spoon contention but it is a far cry from last year's finals finish.
The Knights' horror year hit a new low last week with the investigation into star forward David Klemmer, who was stood down for one match for refusing to be interchanged off against Canterbury.
That incident prompted claims of disunity in the ranks, but Saifiti was adamant this fighting win showed there was no such issues between players or staff.
"Did it look like we were divided (against the Tigers)? I don't think so," Saifiti said.
"That's the hardest thing. If you look back on this year it probably looks like we're a playing group that doesn't care.
"Where actually we probably care too much and let all the noise get to us.
"We get performance anxiety. We get out there and train real good, and we get out there and cave under the pressure. Us leaders need to be better there."
Saifiti said the players had openly discussed the issue, and made a point of trying to unite in tough times against the Tigers after a week of negative headlines.
"It's real hard to explain," Saifiti said.
"Everything you do during the week, everything the coaches give you, you train so well.
"When you are under pressure and you lose confidence, anything that goes wrong on the field, it just snowballs.
"And as a group, instead of coming together we go into our shells.
"It's sad that it took so long for us to get to it."
But crucially, the NSW State of Origin prop was adamant that the fault lay with the players and not the coaching staff after the spotlight on O'Brien's job security.
"This year is probably a lot of things built into one. Different halves combination, Brails (Jayden Brailey) being out, leaders not stepping up, including myself," Saifiti said.
"It's unfair all the criticism coming Adam's way.
"In his first two years he took us to the finals and he made us a better team.
"I think it's about some of the playing group looking in the mirror and saying, 'what have you done this year?'"
Saifiti's frank assessment came as O'Brien made clear he thought the best way to bottle the fight in the Knights' win was to move on quickly from the Klemmer dramas.
The 28-year-old will return next week against Brisbane, after being welcomed back to training on Friday.
"Obviously it has been a tough few days for him and his family, going through that," Saifiti said.
"Klem has been our best player this year by far. He deserves to be back in the playing group."
