Knights coach Adam O'Brien says his side's season remains alive but will soon slip away unless they can make some "adjustments to our mindset".
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Well beaten in a 30-14 loss to Brisbane at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday night, Newcastle have slipped to 13th on the NRL ladder, four points adrift the top eight.
They have a bye next weekend before their remaining six games against the Panthers (away), Tigers (home), Sharks (away), Rabbitohs (away), Titans (home) and Dolphins (home).
They will likely need to win at least five of those games to make the finals.
"We still have our hands on the control of it, but ... it's probably loosening," O'Brien said of whether his side still controlled their own destiny.
"We need to make some necessary adjustments to our mindset on how we want to play games, and what we're content with how to win a game, over the next week or so and then go after it at the back end of the year.
"We're not relying on other results, but that will slip soon if we don't shift that focus quickly."
With their next game against three-time defending premiers Penrith - a team they haven't beaten since 2018 and in seven starts under O'Brien - a loss at BlueBet Stadium on August 4 could very well leave them needing to win all of their remaining games to make the finals.
After an at times dismal showing against the Broncos, they will require a much-improved performance to match a Panthers side which on Sunday was boosted by the long-awaited return of halfback Nathan Cleary.
"It will give us some time to work on it, be thorough in the detail of it at training, and it gives a chance to give these guys, I'm grateful for these guys backing up - 'Gags' needs a rest, 'Friz' needs a rest," O'Brien said of next week's bye and Origin trio Kalyn Ponga, Bradman Best and Dane Gagai, who played three days after Wednesday night's brutal decider.
"We'll pick ourselves back up and fight our way out.
"We're not tossing the towel in."
Newcastle had their chances in the opening half but Brisbane ran in three tries in the space of 14 minutes to lead 18-0 at half-time.
Veteran halfback Adam Reynolds, who was playing his first game since round nine, and fullback Reece Walsh starred in an desperate Brisbane side that needed to win to stay in the finals race.
Newcastle missed a whopping 59 tackles, including 40 in the first half. The Broncos made 11 line-breaks to 2.
"We lacked any patience in the first half, lacked execution," O'Brien said.
"We spoke about not wanting a quick kill and making it a real slog-fest, but we made too many errors chasing points early."
O'Brien added: "I was really proud of some of the efforts on try-line in the first half, but ultimately we had to do way too much of it, we puts a lot of fatigue in you, and they're a quick team.
"You need your tank pretty full defensively, and we depleted ours through poor execution and lack of patience."