Newcastle Knights coach Adam O'Brien has admitted he may turn to the NSW Cup for reinforcements after a horror loss to the Gold Coast Titans on Friday evening.
The Knights had run away to an early lead before being mowed down by the fast-finishing Titans, where coach Des Hasler has also been under pressure.
Adam O'Brien is contracted until the end of 2027, and it would cost the Knights plenty to move on their boss, but the pressure is building on the coach, who admitted he could look to the NSW Cup for replacements.
"I don't know how many options we do have in some of the areas," O'Brien said during his post-match press conference when quizzed.
"First thing I'll do is go home and watch it and look at the part that I played in it and how I can help the ones that are there before I go executing them now.
"If there's better options there, we have the guys playing in NSW Cup tomorrow. If there's a better option there, I'm at the point now I may need to (make a change)."
The head coach could look to recall Jackson Hastings and Tyson Gamble in the coming weeks, but there are few other likely options in reserve grade for the Knights, who haven't been helped through the first half of the year, where their attack has performed exceptionally poorly, by injuries.
O'Brien said his side's performance in the second half of the game against the Gold Coast was 'ridiculous'.
"We completed 55% in the second half. It's ridiculous," he said.
"I'll put my hand up. I've got to get it out of us.
"No doubt, regarding some of the fundamentals, certain individuals need to hold themselves to account because it's not about being outlandish with the ball.
"The errors are coming from out wide. The outside backs are making all the errors, and it's costing our middle a bit.
"There's enough evidence there to suggest that if we just get it out of our game, there's some pretty good footy there.
"At the end of the day, the buck stops with me.
"If we thought the game last week had fixed those problems that had been there all year are not out of us yet, so I have to find the answer."
