Watson and Knights skipper Mitchell Pearce both concede it is "now or never" for the team, who must find a way to rebound from a five game losing streak that has all but sunk the club's chances of featuring in the big end-of-season games.

"We are getting to the point of the season now where it's all on the line," Watson said. "Definitely, it's now or never. We lose and we are probably out of the race for the finals."

Pearce added: "That's the reality isn't it. It's harsh to think like that and the last month hasn't been ideal, that's for sure. But we have to create a win this week, it's as simple as that."

The Knights current dire predicament is a long way from where the club was just six weeks ago following a win over Brisbane when they were preparing to mount a challenge for a place in the top four.

But consecutive losses to the Warriors, Bulldogs, Sydney Roosters, Wests Tigers and Manly has seen them plummet to 11th on the ladder with their campaign now approaching life support status.

"We sort of did it do ourselves," Watson said.

"We were in a great position there a month ago and just had to close out a few of those games and we didn't and now we are sort of do-or-die which is a bit of pressure. This is why you play footy, to make the finals.

"We still have an opportunity to do that and even though we have been in a bit of a form slump, it's only going to take one game to turn it around.

"We did that last time against Parramatta so hopefully we can do that again and go on a five game winning streak and make the finals."

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Watson, whose own form during the team's slump has been exceptional, says the key to a late season revival centres around their effort in defence.

"I think we have lost our edge a bit, our steeliness, especially when games get hard," he said."When it's got hard for us in the last eight weeks, we have crumbled against teams which was not what we built this team on, especially our defence.

"That was our number one focus coming into the year and for the first 16 rounds, I think we did a really good job of it and that last five or six weeks, when it's got tough we have just crumbled and really let ourselves down. Everyone's had a bit of a think and a long hard look at themselves and hopefully it changes this weekend.

"We are accountable for it. We're all a part of it, Every loss that we've had, especially when it blows out by 30 points, it's a team loss, it's not down to any individual players. It's a collective group of players not really trying hard enough, not being tough enough and not hanging in there. We have done it before, we have been there before and done it and I think that's the frustrating thing at the moment."

Watson says the main ingredient during the side's mid-season winning run was an attitude of attacking opposition teams with their defence.

"Attacking with our defence and not conserving energy," he said. "When you are working hard, there are chances to get your breath back but when you are holding on [to energy], you get punched in the face and you don't know how to deal with it. It comes back to running hard and tackling hard and holding on in defence and not waiting to get the ball back. Our first two tackles are really good in yardage and then the third one, we'll let them get a quick play the ball. That turns into a 50-60 metre set so we just have to attack in defence and that's what we've done when we won those games."

# Despite last weekend's heavy loss to Manly, Knights coach Nathan Brown has stuck with the same 17-man squad for the Parramatta clash at BankWest Stadium.

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