Adam O’Brien expressed his frustration following a pivotal moment in the game against the Eels, where Kai Pearce-Paul found himself sin-binned due to a moment of reckless play. This incident occurred in the 62nd minute when Pearce-Paul, drawn into a confrontation instigated by Eels halfback Mitchell Moses, tackled Moses after a prior ruck infringement from Tyson Frizell. In an attempt to regain a swift play-the-ball, Moses pushed Pearce-Paul in the face before being tackled, which led to Pearce-Paul retaliating and pushing Moses, prompting referee Todd Smith to impose the penalty and send him to the sin bin for three consecutive infringements.
The disappointment was palpable as O’Brien was shown with his hands on his head, indicative of the strain the team is experiencing. As commentator Steve ‘Blocker’ Roach pointed out, O’Brien’s visible frustration reflected the challenging situation for the Knights.
Taking advantage of their one-man advantage, Parramatta quickly capitalised, extending their lead to 18-0 with a penalty goal. The Eels continued their onslaught, scoring again through future Knights player Dylan Brown, and later with Jordan Samrani, culminating in a final score of 28-6.
The loss compounded the Knights’ dismal statistics, revealing 48 missed tackles compared to Parramatta’s 24, and highlighting their defensive struggles. Notably, while Parramatta had more errors (15) against Newcastle’s 14, the Knights’ overall performance was still deemed unsatisfactory.
Post-match, O’Brien acknowledged that his side is in a “funk,” though he recognised their effort on the field. Questions regarding the absence of Jackson Hastings, who has not yet played this season amid reports of discord with teammates, were raised again. O’Brien noted that Hastings’ return would not necessarily resolve the team’s problems, as he believes the issues extend beyond the halves. He stated, “Our issue isn’t Tyson Gamble or Fletch (Sharpe)… I don’t see that as a solution.”
Despite the loss, five Knights forwards—Tyson Frizell, Dylan Lucas, Pearce-Paul, Mat Croker, and Thomas Cant—each managed to run over 100 metres, showcasing some individual strengths amidst the team’s current struggles.