It has been a tough season for the men in red and blue, but the team remains determined to finish the season on a positive note.
“The morale is still high and we are still chasing that win,” Newcastle Knights centre Peter Mata’utia said on Tuesday.
“When some teams know they’re not going to make the eight, they sort of shy away and sort of go through the motions.
“I want to finish off well and get the win and make teams earn their win if they do beat us.
“We need to put two halves together to finish off the season on a positive.”
After Sunday’s loss to the Penrith Panthers, it’s clear to Mata’utia the Knights need to maintain intensity from start to finish of the match.
“We will be focusing on what we did in the first half and just grinding it out,” he said.
"We’ll need to be completing with the ball, running hard and tackling hard.”
With the Gold Coast Titans in eighth place, Mata’utia predicts the side to bring plenty of energy to Saturday’s encounter.
“Their strength is in their halves, especially with Jarryd Hayne playing at five-eighth,” he said.
“Their halves are playing really well at the moment.
“They are just grinding games out and staying in it and being competitive, so we need to do the same this week.”
All three grades are in action at Hunter Stadium this Saturday. Be there to see the Knights take on Jarryd Hayne’s Gold Coast Titans. Buy your match ticket now.
