ABOUT three years ago, when Newcastle Knights officials started querying if their soon-to-be ex-coach Nathan Brown had reached his use-by date, it would seem safe to assume two names topped their wish list of potential replacements.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Unfortunately, of course, neither Craig Bellamy nor Trent Robinson were ever realistic options.
Given they were already probably the highest-paid coaches in the NRL, money was never likely to turn their heads. And why would they consider leaving the dynasties they had created at the Melbourne Storm and the Sydney Roosters respectively?
So instead the Knights settled on a commonsense alternative, Adam O'Brien, who had served his apprenticeship under both "Bellyache" and "Robbo".
O'Brien spent a decade with Melbourne, during which time they won multiple premierships, and then a year at the Roosters, who won their second straight grand final that season.
Who better to help transform Newcastle into title contenders than someone who had seen, first hand, what was required to reach that elite level?
The rookie head coach justified that faith by steering the Knights to seventh in his debut season, ending the club's seven-year stretch as finals spectators. Last season they finished in the same position, bowing out again in week one of the play-offs.
Heading into his third campaign, O'Brien declared in the Newcastle Herald: "We won't be content with finishing seventh and falling out in week one [of the finals], I can tell you that. I honestly believe top four is well within our capabilities.
"But at the moment, it's a pipedream. We need to make it happen."
After last week's 39-2 loss to Parramatta in front of a 25,169-strong crowd at McDonald Jones Stadium, Knights fans are entitled to wonder if matching the results of O'Brien's first two seasons - let alone improving on them - is the pipedream.
After an impressive start that delivered wins against the Roosters (20-6) and Wests Tigers (26-4), Newcastle have now lost five consecutive games and plummeted to 14th on the ladder.
Given that their next two opponents are Melbourne (home) on Sunday and North Queensland (away) on Saturday week, there appears a genuine chance the Knights could be dead and buried in the finals race just nine weeks into the season.
Suddenly O'Brien finds himself in uncharted territory.
Before this season, the Knights had never lost more than three games in a row on his watch.
Moreover, since when did the Storm or Roosters encounter five-game losing streaks or suffer hammerings on home soil that prompted their coaches to apologise to fans?
During O'Brien's time in Melbourne and Bondi, he was part of relentless juggernauts who dominated the vast majority of their opponents.
The dilemma he is now facing is a whole new ball game and, presumably, a steep learning curve.
Injuries and suspensions have, without doubt, handicapped Newcastle since before a ball was kicked this season.
This weekend no fewer than eight first-graders - Dane Gagai, Mitch Barnett, Jayden Brailey, Hymel Hunt, Lachlan Fitzgibbon, Dom Young, Mat Croker and Jirah Momoisea - are on the unavailable list.
But by the same token, Parramatta had seven top-liners out last week, including their first-choice centres, Waqa Blake and Tom Opacic, and wingers Maika Sivo and Hayze Dunster, and blew the Knights off the park.
And last season, the Roosters seemed to suffer a season-ending injury every other week and just dealt with it, finishing eight points ahead of Newcastle on the ladder and advancing to week two of the play-offs.
Injuries are a factor, but Newcastle still fielded a team last week that included three Australian internationals and three State of Origin players against the Eels, as well as their first-choice halves. And yet they offered next to nothing.
The Knights had been competitive in their previous four defeats. Against premiers Penrith, they had Barnett sent off early but still scored three tries with 12 men and stayed in the game for 70 minutes before succumbing 38-20.
Likewise, in losses to Cronulla (18-0) and Manly (30-6), they were hanging in until both scorelines blew out in the last 10 minutes.
Their loss to St George Illawarra (21-16) went right down to the wire.
The hammering from Parramatta was a different story. While Newcastle's goal-line defence has been widely criticised, for mine their pedestrian, predictable attack was the real worry.
They didn't even look like scoring a try, despite having virtually a full-strength backline on the field.
Somehow, in the space of seven days, O'Brien has to pick his players up and convince them they are capable of a miracle against the Storm, who are not only coming off a 70-10 slaughter of the Warriors but have steamrolled Newcastle in their past 10 encounters.
The next couple of weeks could be the making of him as a coach. Alternatively, if his players don't produce a positive, united response, the powers-that-be might find themselves pondering the same tough questions they faced three years ago.
MORE IN SPORT:
