Two weeks after the NRL competition was suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic, Saifiti is still coming to terms with being removed from the day-to-day football routine that has been his life for the past four years. But if and when the season resumes, he has no intention of having to play catch-up because he's let his fitness levels slip.

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So he's been running three days a week, and mixing that up with sessions in his makeshift home gym. And in the meantime he has been so disciplined with his diet, he reckons he might even have shed a kilogram or two.

"My body's not aching from games and contact sessions, so I've got a bit more energy and I'm actually eating better, training on my own," Saifiti told the Newcastle Herald.

"The way I'm looking at it is that we'll be getting back on the field earlier, rather than later.

"I'm not going to burn myself out, but I want to keep my weight good and my skinfolds good, so that when we're allowed to play again, it's not like having to do another pre-season.

"If you start thinking we won't be playing until September or something like that, you mightn't work as hard, and you set all your teammates back once we are allowed to start up again.

"But I think all the boys are staying focused. We don't want to waste all our hard work so far.

"If we come back and have to play in a shortened comp, which is a possibility, we've already got two wins in the bank, so we're in a good position."

It should be no surprise that Saifiti's motivation remains at optimum level.

Not only have the Knights produced their best start to any season in recent memory, with wins against the Warriors (20-0) and Wests Tigers (42-24), but the 23-year-old prop has been one of their standout performers.

"Out of all the seasons I've played, it's probably the best I've started," he said.

"And as a team, too, we've benefited from a really tough pre-season.

"It was easily the toughest I've done. I was happy but not satisfied with my first two games, and also my form in the trials. I'm confident that, when we we are able to play again, I've learned enough in the last five years to keep doing the same job I have been doing."

Judging by his early-season efforts, Saifiti, after his successful Origin debut last season, would surely have been at short odds to feature in Brad Fittler's calculations.

One of his teammates in those two NSW victories, St George Illawarra back-rower Tyson Frizell, will join him at the Knights as of next season.

"Tyson is obviously a great player," Saifiti said.

"He's played for NSW, played for Australia. But the thing I took away from [Origin] camp was that he's a real good bloke and team man ... it's great that he's coming, but we've still got this year to think about, too."