KNIGHTS coach Nathan Brown hopes the harsh lessons his players learned at Mount Smart Stadium on Sunday will help deliver a breakthrough win in the near future.
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Newcastle lost the season-opener 26-22 against the Warriors after conceding a heart-breaking try to veteran Ryan Hoffman in the 73rd minute, which put paid to the visitors’ brave second-half fightback.
“We didn't manage it well when we got to the front, which is a learning process," Brown said.
"Anyone that watched the game today would definitely agree that many of the younger players have made great improvements."
The result extended Newcastle’s club-record losing streak to 19 games, although they would appear to have realistic hopes of stopping the rot when they host Gold Coast at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday.
While Brown was happy with the effort the two-time wooden spooners produced, he was disappointed with their execution, in particular a 15-minute period in the first half when he said “we were really poor and just handed possession to them”.
The Knights led 8-0 midway through the first half but conceded four tries before the break – including a hat-trick by Warriors centre David Fusitua.
"I just didn't think in that first half we made them earn the right to be where they were,’’ Brown said.
"We turned the ball over meekly. We were only completing at 50 per cent and when you are at 50 per cent against Roger [Tuivasa-Sheck] and [Shaun] Johnson, they are very talented players and they hurt us."
Newcastle clawed their way back into the contest and a powerful try from prop Jack Stockwell in the 54th minute, converted by skipper Trent Hodkinson, left them 20-14 in arrears. Two tries in four minutes by Knights winger Nathan Ross lifted the visitors into the lead, 22-20, with 14 minutes to go.
But a barging try by Hoffman put the home side back in front, where they stayed until full-time despite some nervous moments.
Warriors coach Stephen Kearney paid tribute to Brown’s new-look team, admitting they unnerved his players in the early exchanges.
“I thought we played against a very, very committed football team … I thought Newcastle, the energy they turned up with, certainly at the start of the game, forced a bit of [nerves] on us,’’ he said.
“But we didn’t let it get too far away from us and we got back into the contest.”
First-game skipper Tuivasa-Sheck noted that “Newcastle Knights came to play”.
Brown will have to reshuffle his backline this week after fullback Dylan Phythian was helped from the field with a knee injury that is likely to require reconstructive surgery.
Towering winger Cory Denniss, who scored two tries in Newcastle’s 52-24 loss to the Warriors in NSW Cup, might be in line for a promotion.
The Knights thrashed the Warriors 48-10 in under-20s.
