Newcastle Knights head coach Adam O'Brien has declared he has support from the club's board as pressure continues to mount over his job.
O'Brien has been in charge of the Knights since 2020, but has won well under 50 per cent of his games in charge, and only made the finals in each of the last two seasons after strong runs through the second half of the year.
The former Melbourne Storm and Sydney Roosters coach is contracted through to the end of 2027, and it would require a major payout to move him on from the Hunter-based club per recent reports, but the situation still may well be on the road to becoming untenable.
The Knights' coach has guided his team to just three wins from their first ten games, and more alarmingly, they have only managed to score 12.8 points per game.
To put that into context, the next worst attacking record is that of the Parramatta Eels (17.9 points per game) and South Sydney Rabbitohs (16.5 points per game).
Despite that, O'Brien told the media on Thursday that he has support from the board, who he claims are aware of the club's depth and injury issues.
"I've got good, strong support from the board. They understand the situation we are in with our depth and the injuries and stuff like that," O'Brien told the media on Thursday.
"But that pressure and expectation comes with the job. I understand. I'm used to it by now. We want results, and our supporters and sponsors want results as well. I can't get fixated on that narrative.
"I have to focus on getting today right and being really committed to fighting our way out with the players."
The comments from O'Brien come ahead of his side's game against the Penrith Panthers on Saturday in Bathurst.
It shapes as a must-win encounter for both sides, with the Panthers also at the wrong end of the table as they look to defend four straight premierships.
A trip to the finals for either side is likely going to require at least nine or ten wins from their final 14 games each.
While the Knights have made no public comments - either supporting or not - against O'Brien, it's clear the coach, who will welcome Dylan Brown to the club next year, is up against it to turn things around.
They head to Bathurst without Kalyn Ponga, who is on Queensland State of Origin duty. That has forced yet another shuffle in the halves, with Fletcher Sharpe moving to fullback, while other depth issues across the Newcastle side refuse to abate.
The club are also reportedly in talks over whether to release Kai Pearce-Paul effective immediately as they attempt to continue cleaning up their salary cap in preparation for a raid on the open market heading into next year and 2027.
Whether O'Brien is at the helm to oversee that remains to be seen.
