Consecutive finals appearances point to a club heading in the right direction but how much closer are the Knights to breaking their two-decade long premiership drought? There were definitely some positive signs around coach Adam O'Brien's continued search for defensive consistency, resilience and a more steely mentality from his players. They won games last season they wouldn't have in 2020. There were exceptions but overall, there was more grit, more sustained effort, a greater work ethic and more belief. But none of that is ingrained in this squad yet and until it is, they won't consistently start beating the heavyweights. They also won't beat them unless there is a significant revamp to their largely structured and predictable attack, which floundered badly under the new rules, initially because of injuries to key players like Mitchell Pearce and Kalyn Ponga during the first half of the season. But even when everyone was on deck at the back-end, the lack of any real improvement in that area and the heavy reliance on Ponga to produce something special suggests the coaching staff will have plenty to work on when pre-season training kicks off next month. In the second of our three-part Knights' season review series, here is our Top 8 negatives from 2021. Poor, predictable, pedestrian, pop-gun! Call it what you want because there is no hiding from the truth when it comes to Newcastle's attack last season. For the most part, all the widespread criticism was warranted. The stats say it all. On points scored alone, the Knights were the second worse in the NRL above only wooden-spooners Canterbury after scoring just 428 points in 24 games at an average of 17 a game. The fact they finished seventh was off the back of improved defence, a soft draw and their ability to hang in and win some close games. In another telling stat, the Knights finished second overall for one pass hit-ups, a sure sign of predictability and a real lack of imagination while in possession. At the same time, they finished near the bottom for off-loads and second phase footy. Not having their spine together at training and on the field due to injuries throughout the year was clearly a big factor but even when Pearce, Ponga, Jake Clifford and Jayden Brailey were there at the back-end of the season, there was still a clunkiness about the way the team used the footy. Centre Bradman Best, one of the most threatening outside backs in the game, became a casualty of his side's inability to get him the ball in advantageous situations. For the second straight year since Adam O'Brien took over as coach, the Knights had next to no luck on the injury front. He was forced to use 31 players during the season as a result and at one stage, had to call up part-timer Mat Croker, who wasn't even under contract, to make his NRL debut. To make matters worse, there were injuries to key players, notably Pearce, Ponga, Best and Daniel Saifiti. Ponga missed the opening month after taking longer than expected to recover from off-season shoulder surgery before a supposed minor groin tear was misdiagnosed and kept him sidelined for six weeks. He played 15 games all up. Best played 17. For the second time in four years, Pearce tore his pec and ended up playing just 12 of his side's 25 games. Significantly, they won eight of the 12. All up, Pearce, Ponga, Clifford and Brailey only played a handful of games together. Edrick Lee was on top of the world after scoring a try in his Origin debut for Queensland in their series-deciding win over the Blues at the end of 2020. Then he seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth. In his first week back at pre-season training in January, Lee broke a bone in his foot which the club thought may prevent him from starting the season on time. Little did they know it would prevent him from playing at all and may, in fact, end his career. A planned return to the field seven or eight weeks into the season after rehabbing his foot was aborted when a scan revealed the fracture had not healed at all. After seeking a number of specialists' opinions, he eventually underwent delicate surgery, hoping for a successful outcome to allow him to play again. He was a big loss. Without him, the Knights not only lost a target man under the high ball but also an experienced winger capable of starting sets off strongly coming off his own line. When you talk about defeats that cost the Knights a stronger finishing position in the top eight, look no further than their two losses to Wests Tigers, a team who were, for most of the year, the 'toothless Tigers'. If the Knights error-riddled 24-20 loss in round three at home after two straight wins to start the season wasn't enough, they backed it up with an embarrassing performance in a 36-18 loss to the Tigers in Magic Round. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Depending on which way you look at it, Connor Watson's shock defection to the Roosters is either a vote of no confidence in how fast he believes the Knights can develop into a premiership force or a sign he thinks his own career can flourish more at Bondi. As for another departing player Josh King, there won't be a Knights fan out there who doesn't hope he kills it at the Storm. In a sign of their growing maturity, the Knights turned the relocation of the competition to Queensland in July from a negative into a positive experience after the NRL did a great job to keep the game going. But for fans in Newcastle, who saw only a fleeting glimpse of their team live in a COVID-ravaged 2020 season, the final three months of the season with the Queensland borders shut were another real let-down. For all their added belief and resilience, the Knights seem to have an inferiority complex when it comes to the Melbourne Storm and Sydney Roosters. It's almost like they are beaten before they run out. A week after thrashing the Cowboys 38-0 in round 16, they were battered 48-4 by the Storm. The stats against Melbourne make awful reading if you're a Knights fan. The Knights have lost their last 10 against the Storm and since 2010, have won just three of 21 games. Against the Roosters, they have won only two of their last 16 matches. In their only clash this year, Newcastle led 8-0 against a heavily depleted Roosters before losing 28-8. If it's a mindset thing, O'Brien and his players must find a way to change it. Edge defence hasn't been a Knights' strong point for a long time and not a whole lot changed in 2021.
