Several players took to social media on Tuesday night to rubbish a report on a Sydney radio station suggesting the club's playing group was split over former coach Nathan Brown's departure, calling it "fake news".

The "shock revelation" was made by an anonymous guest on ex-Penrith forward Mark Geyer's Triple M program, The Rush Hour with MG. It was suggested rookie coach Adam O'Brien was facing an even greater challenge this season because "key players" still had not come to terms with the way Brown was forced out, even though he departed the club six months ago.

The report claimed: "Nathan Brown's departure from the Knights last season has left the playing group split. Key players still disagreeing over the coach's forced departure. Rookie coach Adam O'Brien already has a tough task ahead of him."

Host Geyer responded to the on-air rumour with: "That goes without saying. I'd imagine Browny was a pretty popular coach among some of the players and what you usually find at clubs is senior players start things and finish things. So if there was any players involved in Nathan Brown's sacking, well, some players mightn't like that. I do agree that Adam O'Brien has a tough task already."

A number of players responded to the story after it was posted on the Triple M website with Knights fans querying its legitimacy on social media.

Backrowers Sione Mata'utia and Lachlan Fitzgibbon and five-eighth Mason Lino all took to Instagram to declare it "fake news".

Prop Daniel Saifiti extinguished talk of any drama claiming it's the "closest the playing group has been in the five years I've been here."

Hymel Hunt and Herman Ese'ese both said "Love my brothers -100 percent" while Jacob Safiti left no-one in any doubt about his thoughts on the rumour, simply posting six laughing emojis.

Mata'utia, who will be out to impress in Saturday's trial against St George Illawarra at Maitland in a bid to land a starting right backrow spot for the premiership-opener on March 14 against the Warriors, continued to make light of the rumour yesterday.

"How good are rumours," he said. "I didn't want to give it too much energy but we'll just keep smiling and knuckling down and keep working hard and we'll show how much of a split there is in round one."

Asked if the squad was united, Mata'utia quipped: "100 percent, we are nearly kissing each other."

Meanwhile, the Knights have suffered a late pre-season setback with teenage centre Bradman Best ruled out of the trials and the early competition rounds because of a fractured foot.

Best is expected to go in for surgery this week but the word out of the club is he is likely to be only sidelined for the first few weeks of the premiership.

O'Brien will use the Dragons trial to have a look at a host of fringe players, naming an extended squad of 34 players.

The game will be played in quarters with unlimited interchange.

Centre Tautau Moga, who has been battling a hamstring strain but was expected to be cleared to meet the Dragons, was not named as a precaution following Best's injury.

He will be given another full week before potentially playing in the Sydney Roosters trial on Saturday week.

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