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Newcastle players maintain Nathan Brown's shock resignation from the club won't hurt their NRL finals charge ahead of Saturday's vital clash with Wests Tigers.

Newcastle insist coach Nathan Brown's shock resignation can just be another chapter in a possible fairytale return to the NRL finals after a six-year absence.

Saturday's game against the Wests Tigers is the biggest of Brown's tenure at the club, with both teams needing three straight wins to play finals.

Captain Mitchell Pearce called players together on Wednesday morning to tell them the Brown situation was out of their control and couldn't be a distraction.

"As a group, we spoke this morning," Pearce told reporters..

"If we can get three wins we give ourselves a chance to play finals. Our focus is purely on competing and trying to win this week against the Tigers.

"Let's try and create a fairytale. As a captain that's what I will be pushing for."

News of Brown's departure couldn't have come at a worse time for the Knights' season.

Newcastle boss Philip Gardner on Wednesday said the upside was it gave them a time to have a new coach in place for the 2020 pre-season.

But as far as 2019 goes, it could dent the momentum of a confidence team suddenly reignited by Saturday's 42-6 flogging of North Queensland.

"It's certainly a concern, something that you would have to be worried about or think about," forward Tim Glasby told AAP.

"But our training session yesterday was very upbeat and energetic. Today it was still very upbeat and energetic with good execution.

"That indicates to me that all the boys are upbeat and ready to go, and our momentum from Saturday hasn't been stalled at all.

"It might be a bit different if Browny was leaving straight away and another coach is taking over, but he is still here."

The situation itself is not new to Brown.

He was told he would be moved on from St George Illawarra in 2008 to accommodate Wayne Bennett's arrival, but still took the team to the finals.

"There is an opportunity for the guys to play finals footy," Brown said.

"These blokes, Lachy (Fitzgibbon) and Daniel Saifiti have never been in a successful team.

"You would just think they're going to want to do it. I would be very disappointed if they didn't ... I would be expecting them to play well this week."