Cronulla skipper Paul Gallen has voiced his frustration at the Sharks' inability to 'put themselves in the game' after losing 21-10 to the Knights in Newcastle on Sunday afternoon.
The Sharks started well with centre Ben Pomeroy profiting from his side's advantage in territory and possession to score the opening try in just the seventh minute of the game.
But from that point on the match was controlled by the Knights, who marched their way to a 20-6 lead midway through the second half to consign the Sharks to their third loss from their past four matches.
"We had enough chances, definitely," Gallen said after the match.
"We started well and then let it slip away but we still had opportunities in the first and second half to get some tries and we just didn't complete and that has been the story of our year."
"We are not giving ourselves the opportunity to complete a set of six and kick in-goal or something like that - we are just not completing and it is getting frustrating."
Sharks coach Ricky Stuart echoed Gallen's sentiments and was clearly despondent after the result, which leaves Cronulla in 14th place on 14 points, three wins out of the top eight with just eight rounds left to play.
"We had a bit of momentum and we should complete our sets and not panic," Stuart said. "But we are not putting ourselves into any part of the set or game to show composure."
"We are pushing passes and not kicking well. We have got poor decisions from players with the footy - it is just a neverending story."
"It is all about keeping players up mate … and that ain't working either."
Gallen, who played a full 80 minutes against the Knights just days after a bruising State of Origin encounter on Wednesday night, said he was always going to start in Sunday's Round 18 fixture.
"I just enjoy playing footy - I would play every day if I could," he said.
"We have a pretty good training staff at Cronulla and I didn't run until yesterday. But they gave me some good massages. I was always keen to play and I was ready to play."
Stuart praised the contribution of Gallen, Trent Barrett and Kade Snowden after their back-up performances from rep footy and said the one positive from Sunday's loss to the Knights was the return of winger Luke Covell, who was playing in his first match since injuring his knee in Round 4 earlier this year.
"I was very pleased for Luke," Stuart said. "He put himself out there in the type of surgery he had and that is the type of bloke he is."