The loss marks a steady descent in recent weeks for the Novocastrians who have only managed one win from the past four appearances.<\/p>\n
Determined to nip the worrying trajectory in the bud after working hard to see the Knights back into finals football last season, O'Brien took to his post-match press conference with passion and didn't mince his words.<\/p>\n
"Just really disappointed. I think the physical parts of the game we were beaten to the punch straight away," O'Brien said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
"We have a week where everyone is writing about our DNA and we get a response (last week) but then… we've got to find a way in this club to learn how to win again. What it takes week in, week out. It sits with me.<\/p>\n
"Whether it's a personnel thing, or standards, but the club is used to this rollercoaster we're on and we need to get off it. It lands with me.<\/p>\n
"It seems as soon as something goes wrong or against us we capitulate a little bit. That's being really honest. There's definitely some mental stuff. If it's feeling good it's feeling good, and if it's feeling bad it's feeling bad for us.<\/p>\n
"We've got to find a way to get on with things. It's not always going to go your way but you've got to wrestle it back. We're not willing to do that at the moment.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
"Some of it will be personnel. There will be some changes to this club over the next few years. I'm not going to single blokes out but it's clear if we don't get it, I've got to find a way to get it through recruitment.<\/p>\n
"There's been 10 years of not having a whole lot of success, there's three wooden spoons. It's ingrained in us a little bit and we've got to find a way to get a winning culture in there, and do what those teams that have tasted success… they're willing to put themselves through everything, and we need to be willing to do that.<\/p>\n
"I've been with teams in the past that leave no stone unturned in trying to go and get that success again, and I've got to try and get that in this group."<\/p>\n