Newcastle have had to endure plenty of lows this season, but for all the shock retirements, mid-season player sackings and public slanging matches, their 46-12 loss to Penrith may have seen the club plunge to new depths.

The Knights were not only beaten on their home turf, they were embarrassed by the team running last on the ladder.

The Panthers ran in seven tries to one - many of which occurred without a hand being laid upon the scorer.

While it would be harsh to say the Knights gave up, their heart certainly didn't appear in the contest as they slumped to their sixth straight loss.

"That was a tough day today," coach Brian Smith said in the understatement of the century.

"It probably is (the lowest point of the season) - it certainly is right now. You tend to feel this stuff when it's happening to you at the time even more."

The club has been in the news for all the wrong reasons recently, culminating with newspaper reports suggesting disgruntled backrower Kirk Reynoldson would be taking the Knights to court in order to get his contract extension for next season.

Smith, who has bore much of the brunt for cleaning out the Knights playing roster, finally admitted the off-field issues may be affecting the players.

"You'd have to ask each guy (but) I don't think it's helping that's for sure," he said.

"But as long as we have the virtual no rules in our game about when players are bought and sold in the middle of the season - you run the risk of guys who are attached emotionally to the club feeling that.

"Whether that's affecting their performance or not that's debatable, but you could be forgiven for thinking that some of that's the case at the moment."

Panthers coach Matt Elliott, who played and coached under Smith earlier in his career, admitted to feeling sorry for his rival.

This from a guy who has managed to win only seven games all year.

"If I could just be as comfortable as I was with 20 minutes to go and win by 8, I would have been happy for that," Elliott said.

"The bloke's been pretty generous to me but that's footy and I'm quite sure if it was the other way around Smithy would be saying the same thing.

"I do feel for him - I've sat in that seat and it's not nice."

Newcastle fullback Kurt Gidley, without whom the Knights could have lost by 60, said the morale within the club was similar to 2005 when they lost their first 13 games.

The Knights playing roster has been stretched to the limit with as half a dozen players requiring painkilling needles just to get on the field.

"Those 13 games we lost straight was a pretty low point but this is going pretty close to it at the moment," Gidley said.

"We need to pick our spirits up, we need to rip in next week.

"I can't come out and say this is the worst time in my career because it's not going to help anyone."

For the Panthers the win, powered by hat-tricks to Frank Pritchard and Michael Jennings and a 22-point haul to young winger Michael Gorden, means they may yet avoid the wooden spoon.

They are now just two points behind Cronulla, St George Illawarra and the Knights with two rounds to play.

Captain Craig Gower, who limped off with a knee injury after 50 minutes, said he was hopeful of playing against the Sydney Roosters on Saturday night, with scans likely on Monday morning.

Knights captain Steve Simpson may have a case to answer at the judiciary after being put on report for a high tackle on Penrith winger Mark O'Halloran.

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