'Don't want to hear that': Knights coach's frosty message after defeat of Origin-hit Panthers

Knights coach Adam O'Brien delivered an icy message after his side defeated an undermanned Panthers team and sent the four-time defending premiers back to the bottom of the NRL ladder.

"I know a lot will be written [about an] understrength Penrith, but seven of our best players are out, so I don't want to hear that story," O'Brien said in his press conference.

Penrith ended round eight in last place and will now finish round 12 in the competition's cellar after a team stripped of five State of Origin stars was beaten 25-6 in Bathurst on Saturday.

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A team missing NSW stars Nathan Cleary, Dylan Edwards, Brian To'o, Liam Martin and Isaah Yeo slumped to a 24-0 deficit, clawed back to 24-6 through a try scored by first-grade debutant Harrison Hassett just before the hour mark, and ultimately lost 25-6 after a Jack Cogger field goal iced Newcastle's win.

The Panthers were also without Isaiah Papali'i due to the second-rower's knee injury.

The only Knights player missing because of Origin duties was gun fullback Kalyn Ponga, but Newcastle was also without Leo Thompson (illness), Jacob Saifiti (calf), Bradman Best (hamstring) and Greg Marzhew (knee).

Second-rower Dylan Lucas was phenomenal for the Knights, crossing for three tries inside the first 24 minutes and finishing with 212 run metres and 10 tackle breaks.

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Fletcher Sharpe, meanwhile, was superb at fullback in the absence of Ponga. The Cessnock Goannas product racked up 284 run metres, 18 tackle breaks and four line breaks.

He was involved in an ugly moment in the 23rd minute when Liam Henry performed a crusher tackle on him, resulting in the Panthers second-rower being placed on report and sent to the sin bin.

A frustrated Ivan Cleary had little to say when asked about the crusher tackle in his press conference.

"See what happens," the Penrith coach said.

Canterbury second-rower Jacob Preston was this month hit with a three-match ban for a crusher tackle on Gold Coast captain Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, before having his suspension extended to four games when he fought the charge at the judiciary and lost.

"I was super disappointed with the start," Cleary said.

"We just [got] overrun at the start of the game. In a game like this where we're obviously down on troops, it's the worst start we could find. The confidence was down early and it became a pretty tough night.

"I was much happier with the second half but it would have been nice to see that in the first half.

"You go into the game down on troops and then you're down on the scoreboard, down on possession, down on everything, [and] it just makes it a really difficult game from there."

Smirking, Cleary responded with two words when asked what the answer may be to climbing off the bottom of the ladder.

"Win games," he quipped.

"It's not where you want to be," he added.

"But what's more important at the moment is how far away you are from everyone else, not just on the ladder but in terms of playing potential. I think we've already shown this year, and certainly within the squad, that we have the potential to be doing much better, but you can only rely on potential for so long."

The Knights will open round 13 in a clash with the Dragons at Jubilee Stadium next Friday night, while the Panthers and Eels will square off at CommBank Stadium next Sunday afternoon in a rematch of the 2022 grand final.