Having sunk the team he led to an NRL premiership a decade ago, veteran Craig Gower has labelled Newcastle's Dad's Army capable of achieving the same.
Gower, who drove down from Newcastle just hours before the game with his wife Amanda due to give birth to their second child at any moment, came up with a clutch try as the Knights beat previously in-form Penrith 32-14 on Sunday to climb to fifth on the ladder.
While coach Wayne Bennett was keen to temper expectations ahead of a pivotal clash against the high-flying Sydney Roosters at home next Sunday, Gower said the Knights - chock full of veteran talent - had the makings of a finals force.
"Definitely. I can't say what happened before but the feeling I get, there's a lot of strike power in this team," said hooker Gower after his fourth game for the Knights and his first game back at Centrebet Stadium since leaving the Panthers in 2007 for Europe.
"It's about 17 blokes playing to their potential week in, week out and I think we're starting to get the gist of that now."
The Knights have now won three straight, their last loss coming more than a month ago against premiers Melbourne, and are just three points behind fourth-placed Manly.
They had much to thanks Gower for against the Panthers, with his desperation to get to a Jarrod Mullen grubber eight minutes after halftime when Matt Moylan was willing the ball dead pushing the Knights out to a 16-8 lead.
"Only Craig Gower scores that try," Bennett said.
"He wanted it bad enough and threw himself at the ball on the line there.
"I thought it was typical of his desperation."
Asked about the possibility of a top four finish, Bennett said: "Our major priority here right now is to be in the top eight and be playing well at the end of the football season.
"After that it doesn't matter where you finish."
There was controversy over Gower's grounding of the ball for his try, which he appeared to do with his stomach, but it had nothing on the opening four-pointer when Dean Whare appeared to have his hand on the sideline while acrobatically touching down with the other.
It counted for little in the end with flying Knights winger Akuila Uate breaking his six-game try-scoring drought with a try in either half, while Kade Snowden touched down 10 minutes from time to seal the Knights' ninth win of the season.
Gower admitted to some emotion on his return to Penrith, saving special thanks for the carpark attendant who remembered his face and gave him a spot for a quick getaway after the game.
"I didn't even need a ticket . . . he's a champion bloke," Gower said.
"Obviously I've got great memories here and I'll have them for the rest of my life."
