Can the Newcastle Knights end their losing streak against Melbourne Storm?

Melbourne have won their past 11 games against Newcastle, in a streak of dominance dating back to 2016.

If they make it 12 straight on Sunday, they will surpass the winning streaks by Brisbane (1988-94) and Manly (1992-97) against the Knights in a bygone era.

The star-studded Broncos, who entered the top-flight competition in conjunction with Newcastle and Gold Coast in 1988, towered above the Knights for the first five years of their respective existences.

It wasn't until round 15 of the 1994 season that Newcastle finally beat the reigning two-time champions when young halves Andrew and Matthew Johns upstaged their illustrious opposites, Allan Langer and Kevin Walters, in a 24-10 triumph on home turf.

While the Broncos were Newcastle's original bogey side, Manly soon emerged as their most despised arch-enemies.

Between 1992 and 1997, the Sea Eagles bullied and belittled their Novocastrian rivals until the Knights exacted the ultimate revenge with a 22-16 boilover in arguably the greatest grand final ever played.

Similar heroics will be required on Saturday to stop Melbourne.

The Knights will at least go into the blockbuster showdown with some form and confidence behind them, after back-to-back wins against Canterbury (66-0) and Wests Tigers (34-18). But the Bulldogs and Tigers are in a different weight division to Melbourne, and Newcastle coach Adam O'Brien knows better than anyone the challenge his team are facing.

"We'll enjoy the weekend but we'll get ready for Melbourne next week," said O'Brien, who served his apprenticeship under master coach Craig Bellamy at the Storm. "We need to make sure that we go up a notch again."

Asked if he felt his team were ready to finally exorcise their Melbourne demons, O'Brien replied: "I think we've shown this year that our best footy has held up.

"It's held up against Penrith and Brisbane. They're up at the top of the comp, so I'd have to say yes."

The last time the two teams met, the Storm hammered the Knights 50-2 at McDonald Jones Stadium in round eight of last season - their largest winning margin against Newcastle in 45 clashes.

"The loss last year is no motivation for us," O'Brien said. "Look, we're still in with a fighting chance to make finals this year. That's our motivation."

During their 11-game winning streak, the Storm have outscored Newcastle by a collective tally of 374-116, or 34-10 on average.

Of the Newcastle players who have won games against Melbourne - Dane Gagai, Tyson Frizell, Jackson Hastings, Jack Hetherington, Adam Elliott and Kurt Mann - only Gagai has done so in Knights colours.

A number of long-serving Knights have tried multiple times without success.

Jacob Saifiti has lost eight straight games against the Storm, his twin brother Daniel, skipper Kalyn Ponga and back-rower Lachlan Fitzgibbon have lost seven in succession, while Enari Tuala is winless in six attempts.

Adding to the high stakes on Saturday, a loss would leave the Knights needing a miracle to have any hopes of reaching the finals.

While their victories against the Bulldogs and Tigers, with a bye in between, may have improved Newcastle's position on the ladder to 10^th, realistically they are still three wins adrift of the top eight, with only seven games remaining.

The Storm will return to Newcastle in ominous form after Saturday's clinical 30-16 disposal of Sydney Roosters, their fourth win in the space of five games.

Bellamy indicated he might consider giving Queensland Origin stars Cameron Munster, Harry Grant and Xavier Coates "a rest some way down the track, before the finals".

But he added: "If you rule them out, they get dirty with you for a week."

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