Knights can improve: Mullen

Newcastle playmaker Jarrod Mullen insists the Knights are still capable of turning their season around, despite their poor start.

Coach Wayne Bennett’s men go into Saturday’s encounter with Canberra at Hunter Stadium desperate for a win.

The Knights currently sit 13th in the ladder having suffered defeats in their last four outings – including a 50-point drubbing by Brisbane last week.

Mullen admits the amount of points conceded in recent weeks has been unacceptable.

“The last couple of weeks we have been getting 30, 50 and 25 points scored against us and that is not good enough,” Mullen told the Knights’ official website.

“I think we have lapses in concentration at times, we are defending good for four tackles coming out of our end and then we do one lapse in defence and they make a break and end up scoring.

“It is a big game for us this week going into the bye and all our eggs are in one basket.”

However the closeness of the NRL this season could yet work for the Knights, if they are able to post some wins according to Mullen.

“Everything changes with a couple of wins in a row so we can stay positive and hopefully string together some wins and get up there and everyone will stop talking about the first half of the season,” he said.

Canberra coach David Furner is also under pressure following the Raiders’ heavy defeat at the hands of Wests Tigers at the weekend.