Adam O’Brien and Kalyn Ponga respond to critiques as Knights navigate challenging start to the season

Adam O’Brien has defended his Newcastle Knights players, insisting that critics have been “too harsh” following their fourth straight loss.

The challenging start to the season continued on Sunday as the Cronulla Sharks handed the home side a 34-14 defeat in Newcastle.

The Knights currently hold the unfortunate title of the lowest scoring team this season, managing a mere 60 points while allowing 120 against them.

This stat didn’t hinder the club last year, as they still qualified for the finals with the second-lowest point tally in the competition.

However, the Knights have struggled to find their groove in the early rounds, plagued by errors right across the pitch.

Coming into the match against the Sharks on the back of a 16-point defeat to the Tigers, O’Brien was determined to dispel any suggestion that their recent performance mirrored last week’s problems.

“That’s too harsh,” O’Brien remarked when a reporter drew parallels between the two games in the post-match interview.

“A tremendous effort was put in tonight. Last week was filled with errors on the first play, and while there were still plenty of errors today, our team is out there working hard.”

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O’Brien reiterated the absence of key players in his squad, including Jacob Saifiti, Adam Elliott, Jack Hetherington, and Dylan Lucas, which has impacted the team’s performance.

“Our depth is certainly being tested at the moment – we’ve got five injuries, but that’s part of the game; every team faces injuries. The real issue is having five players out in the same position, which puts additional strain on the team,” he explained.

“I’m disappointed. We always strive for victory, particularly here in Newcastle. I don’t believe we’ve let anyone down with our effort, so I think the criticism is a bit harsh.”

Kalyn Ponga backed his coach’s assertions, acknowledging that the team had shown improvement compared to their performance against the Tigers.

“I think it felt different. I felt like we were in that game,” he noted.

“Getting to half-time at 16-4, especially given the field position we conceded, was commendable.

“That period after half-time definitely cost us. We’re a resilient little footy team, but we just need to maintain discipline in certain areas.”

The Knights will next take on the Warriors on Friday.