Down on confidence and missing personnel, Newcastle's forward pack faces a huge challenge to win the yardage battle over a resurgent Jason Taumalolo and Cowboys side making almost 300 metres more per game.
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Third-placed North Queensland (13,595) have recorded a staggering 2341 more run metres than the Knights (11,254) this season.
On average they make 1699 metres per game, the third-most in the league.
The Knights are making 1406 metres per game, ranking them 14th - two spots higher than their place on the competition ladder.
The Cowboys (598m) are also making a far greater dent in their opposition, recording almost 100 more post-contact metres, on average, than the Knights (500m) per game.
Newcastle have been without key forwards at times this season, including Mitch Barnett and Lachlan Fitzgibbon for their past six consecutive losses, but coach Adam O'Brien says props Daniel and Jacob Saifiti both know they have been below their best.
"They're the first ones to admit they've got more in them," O'Brien said.
The Knights' start in their 50-2 loss to the Storm, O'Brien highlighted, did not help the Fijian internationals play to their potential.
"I think the first 12 minutes [against Melbourne] robbed the opportunity to see the best in Daniel," O'Brien said.
"I felt like our start, what was it 76 tackles to our 10? That hurt our middle forwards."
But O'Brien believes in particular Daniel, who is at risk of losing his NSW jersey should he fail to find form over coming weeks, is ready to deliver a big performance.
"He had a look in his eye," O'Brien said.
"His body, there's no niggles there. He's feeling good, he's training good and the want is there. I know how much he wants to get out there and perform for this club.
"He knows where he is at and I'm expecting a big game from him this week."
A higher completion rate (80 per cent) across the competition's first eight games than the Knights (75 per cent) has no doubt helped Todd Payten's side, but the Cowboys' run metres have increased on the back of Jason Taumalolo's improved performances.
Playing less minutes under Todd Payten than in previous years, Taumalolo's average metres dropped to only 155 per game last season, well short of the year prior (207m).
But it has risen to 170m per game this year following big efforts against the Raiders (255m) in round six and last week (187m) in the Cowboys' 35-4 over the Eels in Darwin.
Knights prop David Klemmer said the lock had hit form but he was only one threat.
"We've got to do a job on the whole team," he said. "Kyle Feldt starts them off well and then Jason jumps on the back of that."
The Knights have lost forwards Sauaso Sue and Brodie Jones, but Fitzgibbon returns.
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