Living in a rugby league town was always a dream of rugged forward Kirk Reynoldson.
These days he would be forgiven for thinking it is a nightmare.
After three seasons in AFL-mad Melbourne with the Storm, Brisbane-born Reynoldson this year relished the chance to link with Newcastle where league is considered more than a mere sport.
Playing in a one team town makes the highs very high and the lows quite unbearable.
And right now Newcastle is as low as it can get.
The Knights' round seven clash against the Bulldogs at Newcastle on Sunday will mark their first game without Andrew Johns after the ex-Test No.7 broke his jaw last weekend.
To boot, Newcastle is the only win-less NRL team after six rounds - its worst season start - and the sole outfit not to have secured a naming rights sponsor.
Not that Reynoldson has to walk too far down the street to be reminded.
"It's one of those towns where you can't go to too many places without people saying something about footy - it's probably the hardest thing to get used to," Reynoldson said.
"It's just everyone loves the Knights. Newcastle's such a wonderful town - my wife and I love living here."
Reynoldson admits he has been shaking his head over the bad luck that has plagued the Knights in 2005.
"Most fans have always stuck by us, when you go down the street they stop you and say `just hang in there, you'll get there'," he said.
"They are the true fans, they are there for us through the good times and the bad.
"All we can do is just keep training hard, hopefully it filters into the game - it starts on the training paddock."
Newcastle's slide started with a pre-season controversy at Bathurst and the latest instalment was Johns' injury which will sideline him for up to eight weeks.
The Knights' heartbreak continued when forward Daniel Abraham broke his leg in the same game last Sunday and was ruled out for the rest of the season, taking the club's injury list to a staggering 12.
"It (Johns' injury) hits home pretty hard, also with Daniel. Those guys had been training hard and we had just got them back and been getting some cohesion - and then that happens," Reynoldson said.
"But we've got to battle on. I'm sure the guys who have come in will do a great job."
Newcastle looked to have finally broken its duck when it led 20-0 last Sunday against New Zealand Warriors, only to lose 30-26 in its first home game of 2005.
At least Reynoldson is finding positives.
"Taking one positive is that we put one 40 minute performance together - now we've got to come up with two halves," he said.
Another positive is former Test hooker Danny Buderus backing up from last weekend's season debut without any problems after finally overcoming foot/shoulder/elbow injuries.
"The fitness is good so I'm happy about that, it's a positive for me anyway," Buderus said.
"We've got to keep our heads up - you can't look too forward down the track....something unexpected always happens.
"It's pretty disheartening but another week, another challenge."
Buderus will also look at reclaiming his Test No.9 jersey after his three-year hold on the position was broken by Penrith's Luke Priddis for Friday night's clash against New Zealand.
"Putting Priddo there just makes me hungrier to try and get that jersey back and I'm looking forward to doing that."
