Knights coach sorry for criticising frustrated fans
Adam O'Brien has apologised for his post-match attack on Newcastle's fans, conceding success-starved Knights supporters are within their rights to boo his team.
It comes as the Knights prepare to lose second-rower Kai Pearce-Paul to Wests Tigers next season as the Englishman inks a three-year deal.
Calling a snap press conference on Friday, coach O'Brien said he'd let the Knights faithful down with comments made after Thursday's 26-22 win over Manly, and hoped to eventually win their respect back.
Trailing 16-0, The Knights were booed off at halftime by their home fans before rallying for just their third win in 11 games.
At full-time, O'Brien called the fans' half-time response "really disappointing" and claimed those who booed "don't know anything about rugby league, and they're probably the ones who cheered at the end".
On Friday, O'Brien explained he had been walking to the dressing sheds from the coaches' box when the booing occurred, so he was unaware of it until the post-match press conference.
"I was unprepared for that question ... I went straight into protection mode for our playing group," O'Brien said.
"That's not an excuse, I'm here to own that that's not how I feel about our members. I understand we're here because of those people.
"I apologise unreservedly to our members and fans that I offended and I can understand why they would be offended."
Through 14 rounds, the Knights have had statistically the worst attack in the NRL and had lost four consecutive games at home before the comeback win on Thursday night.
O'Brien's job has come under scrutiny with the Knights languishing in the bottom four, and the coach understood recent results would have left the fans frustrated.
"Our members have a right to let us know when we've fallen short," he said.
"They're bigger than me. They have every right (to boo) and the reality is we haven't given them the performances recently for them to be cheering about."
O'Brien planned to apologise to the playing group on Friday and was particularly disappointed with his comments given the Knights' fan base is traditionally among the most loyal in the league.
The Knights had the NRL's fourth-largest home crowds on average last year despite a middling season that finished with an elimination final loss.
Even when they collected three wooden spoons between 2015 and 2017, the Knights' average home crowds remained in the top half of the 16 NRL clubs each season.
"They sit through all types of weather and all sorts of scorelines with unwavering loyalty," O'Brien said.
"I'm disappointed that I let them down with an emotional response, looking to protect the playing group when I didn't have all the facts.
"Hopefully over time I can, by owning this, earn back a bit of their respect because it's not how I feel about them."
Elsewhere, Pearce-Paul is set to help solve the Tigers' personnel issues at second row by joining the club next season.
The Englishman had the best of his 33 NRL games in the Knights' win on Thursday night and is expected to join Samuela Fainu as a first-choice second-rower at the Tigers next season.
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