Knights officials don't want to sack coach Adam O'Brien, and rightly so.

Not only are the Wests Group board of directors are notoriously frugal bunch, who must be dreading a potential payout for the remaining two seasons of O'Brien's contract, but history tells us that a long-term head coach is usually the starting point for any successful sporting franchise.

Moreover, O'Brien clearly has some credit in the bank, having steered Newcastle into the play-offs in his first two seasons at the helm, a feat beyond every previous Knights coach except Warren Ryan and Michael Hagan.

As recently as last week, Knights chief executive Philip Gardner told the Newcastle Herald: "We won't be changing the head coach. Adam's position is certainly in no jeopardy."

The powers-that-be have shown no signs of wavering from that, and perhaps by this time next year their faith will be rewarded.

Maybe, as the likes of Trent Robinson, Brad Arthur, Ricky Stuart and Ivan Cleary have shown, there can be life for O'Brien long after the full-time siren has sounded on a disappointing season.

But, as I see it, there are two questions that remain unanswered and continue to hang over O'Brien's coaching future like a black cloud.

First, how long can the men in charge hold their nerve? And second, how much worse can things get?

Sunday's 24-10 loss to Canterbury at McDonald Jones Stadium, and O'Brien's frustration at the post-match press conference, suggest the Knights have not hit rock bottom yet.

Newcastle are not last on the ladder, despite the embarrassing statistical quirk of having scored the fewest points in the competition (284) while conceding the most (522).

After five wins from 19 games, they occupy 14th position and, somehow, are four points clear of cellar dwellers Gold Coast.

But rest assured, if they continue to play as they did against the Bulldogs on Sunday - and as they have done virtually all season - they will struggle to win any of their five remaining games, in which case the wooden spoon could well be returning to Newcastle for the first time since 2017.

Consider the draw O'Brien's troops must negotiate between now and season's end.

On Sunday they travel to Campbelltown to take on the team directly below them, the revitalised Wests Tigers, who upset Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night and, in their previous game, were robbed of a deserved victory against the second-placed Cowboys in Townsville, after a cruel video-refereeing decision.

Lose to the Tigers, and the Knights drop to 15th.

After the Tigers, Newcastle head to Brisbane to take on the Broncos, from whom they have already copped a 36-12 hammering in their own backyard, back in round 11.

Next up, it's a home game against Canberra Raiders, who have shown real purpose in winning four of their past five starts. After climbing to equal eighth - ninth on differential - the Green Machine appear in no mood to settle for anything less than a play-off spot.

After that, it's an away game against the Titans at Robina. And while Gold Coast are running last for valid reason, it is worth noting they have won six consecutive games against Newcastle at home.

Last but not least, the Knights play host to a Cronulla team who are currently flying high in third and might well be homing in on a top-four spot in the post-season.

All of which strikes me as a rather daunting assignment for a team seemingly devoid of confidence and quite possibly without skipper Kalyn Ponga, who is sidelined indefinitely as he awaits a prognosis after his recent spate of concussions.

Knights officials must have fingers crossed that O'Brien can conjure up two or three wins from those games and end the season with a semblance of credibility.

But allow me to play Devil's advocate and outline the worst-case scenario, for the sake of the exercise.

Just imagine the Knights lose their next five games.

Just imagine they are the recipients of the kitchen utensil everyone is desperate to avoid.

Not long after the players start drowning their sorrows on Mad Monday, the club will need to kick off the process of asking members to renew their season tickets.

The same members who have forked out good money to watch their team lose eight of 10 games at home this season, including an unprecedented five-match losing streak in which they were trounced by a collective scoreline of 197-28.

At a time of rising interest rates and rampant inflation, the most loyal, long-suffering fans in the NRL will have to weigh up whether or not to again dig into their pockets to support largely the same group of players, with the same coach in the hot seat.

It strikes me as a tough sell.

Adding to the conundrum, what if the Knights not only finish this season like shot ducks but start next year in similar fashion? It could be that a month or so into their 2023 campaign, Newcastle officials are finally compelled to wield the axe, which will mean a second successive season has been written off.

As mentioned before, this is the hypothetical worst-case outcome and obviously might never transpire.

Suffice to say that all concerned will breathe a sigh of relief if the Knights can return from Campbelltown with two competition points, allowing them to defer the last resort to another day.

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