It’s a prospect that O’Brien has been loath to contemplate.
“I don’t want to even think about it to tell you the truth,” he said after last week’s 40-16 loss to Cronulla.
Dane Gagai delivers a don’t argue against the Titans.Credit: Getty Images
In contrast, the subject has been weighing heavily on the mind of acting Newcastle skipper Dane Gagai, who was at the Knights from 2015-17, when they spent three successive seasons in the cellar.
According to Champion Data statistics, Gagai is in danger of joining an unwanted club that currently contains only one member. A former teammate of his, journeyman front-rower Jack Stockwell, is in a league of his own after featuring in four wooden spoon teams in the NRL era – three at Newcastle and one with Gold Coast.
“I’ve been through three wooden spoons, and obviously we’re not sitting in a good spot now … it’s up to us to make sure we go back and do what we need to do so we can put in a performance next week to finish the season off strong,” Gagai said.
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While Gagai and Brown will be teammates next season, on Sunday, they will be on a collision course.
Kiwi international Brown has been reinstated at five-eighth for one final fling alongside long-time halves partner Mitchell Moses, having been used at hooker, centre, and as Parramatta’s 18th man in recent weeks.
Brown has already featured in two wins against Newcastle this year – 44-18 in the pre-season and 28-6 in round 11 – scoring tries in both games.
A repeat performance on Sunday would allow him to farewell Parramatta with his head held high. It’s unlikely it would be so well received in his future hometown.
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