Newcastle coach Adam O'Brien admits he will have to consider personnel changes if his team can't bounce back against Sydney Roosters at McDonald Jones Stadium on Friday night.
The Knights have conceded 82 points in consecutive losses to South Sydney and Manly and will need a vastly improved performance against the Roosters, who hammered St George Illawarra 54-26 last week.
After an early-season injury crisis, only a handful of players across Newcastle's NRL and NSW Cup squads are out of action, a "luxury" O'Brien said the club hadn't enjoyed until now.
In terms of top-flight regulars, only centre Bradman Best is out for an extended stint following thumb surgery, while winger Dom Young won't face the Roosters due to a rib injury.
"We've got two healthy squads there to put pressure on personnel," O'Brien said.
"Now that we've got a healthier squad down in NSW Cup, it's important that those guys are performing really well, [but] there's more scope for me, if guys are continually under-performing, then there's scope to make changes now.
"We haven't had that luxury at all."
The 13th-placed Knights remain a mathematical chance of making the finals but will need to beat the Roosters, who they upset 20-6 in round one, to stay alive.
They face the Bulldogs and Tigers, two teams placed below them, in the coming weeks and also meet bottom-eight sides the Raiders and Titans on their run home. The Sharks and Broncos are their other fixtures.
But after disappointing losses to depleted Rabbitohs (40-28) and Sea Eagles sides (42-12), O'Brien doesn't want his players looking beyond the Roosters.
"I haven't talked anything past this week with them," the coach said. "I really don't talk much past today.
"We understand that this is a big challenge for us.
"Our body language, the training, our words we're using, suggests we're up for it."
O'Brien said his side's season-opening victory over the Roosters at the SCG was a distant memory but offered a reminder of what would be required against the ninth-placed side, who sit six points ahead of the Knights.
"There's no doubt that gives us some sort of confidence that we know what we're capable of, but it's important we get 17 guys contributing and that's what we got that day," he said.
Newcastle will likely be boosted by the inclusion of back-rower Tyson Frizell, who O'Brien said appeared ready to play despite injuring his ribs against Manly.
"He is a lot better than he was," O'Brien said.
"Trying to keep him out of the game is the hardest thing for me as a coach, he is just that adamant that he wants to be out there.
"We had a pretty heavy contact session last night and he participated in all that. It's good signs."
O'Brien was "hopeful" Young would be available to face the Bulldogs next week, while a foot injury Edrick Lee picked up last week has "settled right down" and the winger will play on Friday.
The Knights have won only two of eight games at McDonald Jones Stadium this year and face a huge challenge to improve that record.
The Roosters had four consecutive losses before beating the Dragons, but they lost by no more than 10 points against the Raiders (22-16), Storm (26-18), Eels (26-16) and Panthers (26-18).
"We understand there is a pretty good footy team rolling into town,"O'Brien said.
"Really important to go out and put a performance in that everybody is happy with.
"But as I said last week, I'm just really focused on improving the things we done the week before and I'm confident if we do that we'll be more than competitive."
Meanwhile, the Knights have signed another two NRLW players. Bathurst product Jakiya Whitfeld, a 21-year-old Australian Rugby Sevens representative, and Queenslander Makenzie Weale, 19, will join the club.
