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Like all NRL clubs, Newcastle are still waiting for the NRL to release its revamped draw after the competition was suspended on March 23 because of the coronavirus crisis.

NRL chief executive Peter V'landys said on Thursday that the schedule for the next two rounds, which has been delayed because of complex negotiations with broadcasters Nine and Foxtel, would be issued on Friday.

At this stage, all that has been confirmed is that the season will resume on Thursday, May 28.

There will also presumably be round-three games on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of that weekend, and O'Brien said it was crucial for all teams to know which day they had been allocated, so that they can plan and prepare accordingly.

"The No.1 thing for us is to find out what day we play," O'Brien said. "That's the big thing we're hanging out for at the moment.

"I don't care who we play, I just need to know what day we're playing, because of the planning that goes into it.

"Obviously it's not just game week, it's what you do the next week. We don't just train Tuesday and Thursday nights and do a little bit of ball-work on Friday any more."

Asked if the uncertainty had caused frustration, O'Brien replied: "There hasn't been, but there will be if it takes a lot longer.

"Look, there's things going on that I'm not privy to. Obviously they're working though it, and I'm not having a crack at them because they're doing a wonderful job down there at the NRL to get us back."

O'Brien's attitude to every other logistical hurdle, which he is trying to instil in his players, is to just get on with it. That includes the possibility of the Knights having to play the rest of the season away from home, travelling to Sydney by bus on game day.

Newcastle travelled on game day for their 42-24 win against Wests Tigers at Leichhardt Oval in round two and that may become standard practice for the rest of the season.

"Let's get the footy back," O'Brien said.

"If it means playing in Sydney, we're really fortunate the Sid Fogg's bus we have is decked out pretty comfortable.

"We did it in round two. If that's the biggest hurdle we've got to do - sit on a pretty comfortable bus and spend some time together and go down and get our jobs done and play footy - we won't complain about that stuff.

"There's bigger things than that."

Likewise, O'Brien was unfazed by the NRL's decision to revert to one referee, saying: "I don't care how many blokes there are in a yellow shirt".

"But I do empathise with the single ref," he said. "There's a lot for him to look at. A lot ... I just hope our papers aren't blowing up about the things he missed on the weekend."

O'Brien said his players were of a similar mindset.

"As I said to the group this morning, it is what it is," O'Brien said.

"If we went back to the start of this pandemic, when it first came into play, our No.1 thing was let's get back to footy.

"That's the No.1 choice. Look, there have been plenty of people smarter than me and more experienced than me comment on it, but the decision has been made, so I just want to get on with it."

With regards to the new "six-again" rule the NRL intends to implement to counter deliberate ruck infringements, O'Brien said he had received no official notification so had not closely considered its potential impact.

"I haven't had every clarity at all yet," he said.

"We'll be OK either way. I think we'll have guys that will thrive in that environment, and we'll have guys that it will be challenging for.

"It won't be the reason we use whether we win or lose in round three."