A poor start from the Newcastle Knights damaged the side’s chances against the Manly Sea Eagles on Sunday at Brookvale Oval.
While the Knights scored late points and showed promise in the second half, the side was defeated 36-16.
“I think Manly just come out wanting it more than us,” young forward Josh King told Knights TV in the sheds following the game.
“They ran harder and were tackling harder.
“That first half we were just on the back foot that entire time.
“In the second half we came back a little bit in the end there, but it’s just not good enough for a first grade side.”
King was proud to be named in the starting line up for the first time in his career.
“It’s another step up again when everyone is fresh,” he said.
“It was a good experience and a good challenge for me. Hopefully I will get another few starts.”
While the side raised the intensity in the second stanza, it was too late for a revival.
“Our defence in the back end of the game was a bit better than what we started with and we were slowing them down,” he said.
“We were getting a few more chances than what we were in the first half.
“We were able to move the ball around and ended up scoring a couple of tries.”
As the team enters the home stretch of the competition, the Knights prepare to play four games in Hunter Stadium – the first this Saturday against the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs.
“It’s on again next week,” he said.
“We will go back to training, go through our normal processes and work on the things we need to and will turn up next Saturday with a positive attitude and will hopefully get a win.
“It’s a big boost playing at home with our home town fans there.
“It’s just about if we want to turn up on the day and if we want to compete.
“We matched it with the Storm and Canberra a couple of weeks ago and they are at the top of the ladder and they are some of the best teams in the comp.
“If we can do that again, we will be a challenge for other teams.”
