The Newcastle Knights look to next season

THE Newcastle Knights are all but out of the NRL finals race with just two regular season games remaining.

NOT since your girlfriend walked out have Knights seemed so terrible.

Honestly, here was an afternoon that started with Newcastle halfback Tyrone Roberts sending the ball over a sideline from the kick-off - yes, the kick-off - and finished with the visitors conceding 42 points from kicks, flicks and almost every other way imaginable.

It was so bad coach Wayne Bennett conceded there was no point even giving them a spray when down 38-4 at halftime.

"They needed a bit of help by then," he deadpanned. "They didn't need a coach losing the plot."

Coming into this game having won four of their past five matches, the Knights were expected to take it to a Manly Sea Eagles side that, over the past fortnight, has started looking in better shape than even Hollywood fan Hugh Jackman.

The Wolverine, by coincidence, was there yesterday. So too, cricket star Dave Warner. But as for the Knights, they were a no-show.

So what chance a top-eight berth? Mathematical?

"I've been asked that question lots," Bennett said. "We haven't put ourselves in the finals equation any time, not this coach anyway.

"I have never talked about us being in the play-offs this year and I am still not thinking that way regardless of the result today.

"We have had Kurt Gidley injured all year. There is no team going to make a presence in these play-offs without their top players being available."

So is all hope lost?

"No, no, not all hope is lost," he continued. "We turned our season around. Today, you wouldn't think so but we have. There's a lot for us to take out of the season and we can come back and start a pre-season a lot further ahead because of what we did this year and with some quality players to come back into the team. I don't want to lose what they have gained.

"We have certainly taken a bit of pain here today but the second half helped a little bit. We got two more weeks, two more tough games to play and do our best."

While Bennett conceded that at no stage did he think his side would win the game, even after scoring three consecutive tries in the second half, he remains happy with the way the club has responded after being in "a hole" two months ago.

"Eight weeks ago we couldn't control the footy," he said. "I wanted to take something out of the season and the last eight weeks it's been a different footy team. So we can build on that next year."