Newcastle went down to Cronulla Sutherland Sharks, 22-6 at Remondis Stadium last Friday.

The Knights’ defeat came off the back of a landslide loss to St George Illawarra the week before.

This saw Newcastle surrender first place after opening the season with four consecutive wins.

Despite this, skipper Kurt Gidley has not lost hope.

‘‘It doesn’t knock my confidence around,’’ he said.

‘‘It’s just disappointing to go back-to-back losses.

‘‘You want to be a consistent footy team, and the best teams only lose one here and there throughout the year.’’

On Friday, key Knights playmakers failed to break the Sharks’ defense line.

Aku Uate’s 69th-minute try was Newcastle’s first since the club’s 26-14 victory over the Penrith Panthers at Hunter Stadium on March 28.

Gidley and Sione Mata’utia played in five-eighth and fullback positions after Jarrod Mullen and Tariq Sims left the field with shoulder injuries.

Mullen could miss the Knights’ match against the Parramatta Eeels this Sunday at Hunter Stadium.

If he does not recover in time, Robbie Rochow, who has nursed a bulging disc in his lower back for the past three weeks, could replace Mullen if his symptoms have subsided.