THE Knights have vowed to re-establish EnergyAustralia Stadium's reputation as a fortress, starting with victory against reigning NRL champions Melbourne Storm tomorrow night.
Knights officials expect a bumper crowd after healthy sales of 13,000 tickets so far and coach Rick Stone has said his players will do everything in their power to "engage" the Novocastrian faithful to ensure a parochial atmosphere.
Having opened the season with a gritty 20-16 win against the Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium last weekend, the Knights will be making their first appearance on home turf this year.
It will be their first home game since the off-season drugs scandal involving Danny Wicks and Chris Houston. Former players such as Sam Stewart and Matthew Johns have predicted fans will rally behind their embattled club.
Stone has challenged his troops to give those supporters reason to cheer by making EAS just as inhospitable for visiting teams as it was last year, when the Knights won 10 of 12 games on their own turf.
In the process they won their first five home games, which when added to their final four home games in 2008 gave them a club record of nine straight victories.
"Coming back home is good for our enthusiasm and our attitude," Stone said yesterday.
"Our record there the last couple of years has been really good.
"Ten from 12 there last year gives us a good pointer towards a good performance again. But again, we've got to start from scratch and do what we did last week from the opening whistle and minimise their big players' opportunities."
Stone said it was important that Newcastle started strongly to encourage their fans.
"We really enjoy playing there, we're comfortable there and the crowd gets behind us," he said.
"We've spoken in the past and we've probably spoken about it before the weekend, about engaging the crowd and getting them into the game.
"We'll talk about the little things that do engage our crowd and help us lift by getting the crowd in the game early.
"From there if we keep producing the sort of efforts they're looking for, it keeps them in the game and you get a real home-ground advantage out of that."
Veteran centre Adam MacDougall was confident that some traditional Newcastle passion would inspire his teammates.
"The support of this town is what makes this football side," MacDougall said.
"The Knights wouldn't be the Knights without the great supporter base they've got.
"We'll expect nothing but a full crowd this week and I'm sure they'll get one."
If last season's home statistics give the Knights cause for comfort, so do their past two performances playing host to Melbourne.
Last year they defeated the competition heavyweights 26-14 at EAS and in 2008 they won 17-16.
But Stone admitted those memories would ensure Melbourne were on their game and unlikely to be susceptible to an ambush.
"I think Melbourne will be ready, there's no doubt about it," Stone said.
"[Coach] Craig Bellamy is famous for his thoroughness and preparation and we expect nothing less."
Stone said the big question was whether his players could perform at the same level they did last weekend, when by their own admission they had a point to prove to the critics who had written them off after the drugs scandal.
"Mentally it's a big one for us, and physically can we get up there to that particular level again and show the type of resolve we showed last week and the unity and the pride and the raw desire to be really competitive and win those little one per cent-sort of contests?" he said.
"That's our goal.
"Obviously you'll have to talk to me after the game on the weekend and I'll give you the answer."
AAP reports: Sydney Roosters coach Brian Smith has moved to counter talk that young guns Todd Carney and Mitchell Pearce could be the solution to NSW's State of Origin woes, calling on selectors to give them another year to prove themselves.
The Blues face a fifth straight Origin series loss this year as they continue the search for a solution to the halves dilemma they have had since the retirement of Andrew Johns.
They scored a consolation victory in the third game last year but veterans Brett Kimmorley and Trent Barrett were the halves and they might retire at the end of this season.
The Roosters' upset 36-10 win over South Sydney last Sunday sparked talk that Carney and Pearce could be in NSW selectors' minds.
Smith is worried the publicity Carney has drawn in his return to the game after deregistration for off-field incidents is not helping the former Canberra star.
"He's gone from zero to hero and nothing could be further from the truth with him and with young Mitchell." AAP
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