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Newcastle halfback Mitchell Pearce says the hard work starts now for the Knights after all but securing their NRL finals berth.

A four-match winning run and an almost certain berth in the NRL finals has Newcastle's Mitchell Pearce happy but the halfback knows there's still plenty of work to do.

The Knights hold a four-point buffer on their rivals with two matches to play after Saturday's 22-16 win over Canterbury on the Gold Coast.

That means back-to-back finals appearances after ending a six-year drought in 2020 looks odds on.

Pearce's return to the team has allowed coach Adam O'Brien to field his chief playmaker and strike weapons Bradman Best and Kalyn Ponga on the field at the same time.

The ex-NSW State of Origin half however knows there's plenty to work on if the Knights are to avoid another first-week finals exit after their season came to a shuddering halt against South Sydney last year.

"We've put ourselves in a good position," Pearce told AAP.

"We're four points clear of the bottom eight now. You've got to be happy and grateful with that.

"At the end of the day it's about playing finals but how you're playing when you get there is how you win in finals.

"We've just got to keep improving."

Saturday's match-winner was Pearce's halves partner Jake Clifford with the mid-season recruit scoring a try and having a key role in another in the narrow win over the Bulldogs.

Clifford has played four games for the Knights with Pearce and all four have been wins, with the 32-year-old saying it's a partnership that is developing nicely.

"We enjoy playing with each other," Pearce said.

"I don't think we've lost a game together. That's the aim of the game so we'll take that."