It's why man-mountain Viliame Kikau is the player the Newcastle Knights must contain if they are to maintain their unbeaten start to the season when they clash with the Penrith Panthers at Campbelltown Stadium on Sunday.

The Knights player in the hot seat with the task of keeping Kikau on a tight leash is Sione Mata'utia, who will come face-to-face with the Panthers giant on Newcastle's right defensive edge.

"He's definitely a handful and someone we'll have to watch," Knights prop David Klemmer said.

"He's a big man who's mobile and skillful with the footy and they'll look to go to him. It's going to be a matter of us doing a job at the ruck and not giving him too much room to get going."

Kikau, a dominant force for the Panthers in the NRL Nines back in February, took that form into the opening two rounds of the competition, scoring tries in come-from-behind wins over both the Sydney Roosters and St George Illawarra Dragons before the shutdown.

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While he won't have suspended playmaker Nathan Cleary to combine with, his threat won't be any less real, particularly close to the Knights line. But Klemmer is just as wary of the Panthers back five - fullback Caleb Aekins, wingers Brian To'o and Josh Mansour and centres Brent Naden and Dean Whare.

"Their back five - they are all big boys who cart the ball back strong," he said.

"Our kicking is going to have to be spot on and it's going to be up to our big boys to lay a platform up front to give Pearcey [halfback Mitchell Pearce] the space he needs to do his thing."

The Knights squad will travel to Campbelltown by bus on game day. They will stop over at an NRL-provided "safe zone" to stretch their legs and have a meal prior to arriving at the ground two hours before kick-off.

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