There was a meeting of the minds at Moore Park on Friday, as Kangaroos mentor Tim Sheens popped into Sydney Roosters training to catch-up with coach Trent Robinson.

The Roosters were running through their paces at their captain’s run preparing to face the Newcastle Knights at Allianz Stadium on Saturday, but Sheens was there on Australian business.

Following the Kangaroos’ World Cup triumph, Sheens is keen to keep things sharp ahead of this year’s Four Nations and is planning on meeting with as many NRL coaches as possible over the coming weeks to discuss players who are on the national team’s radar.

Sheens is interested in the feedback of those who coach the players week-in-week out and the fact he currently doesn’t have an NRL job of his own allows him to canvas opinion.

Eight months ago Newcastle travelled to Sydney to face the Roosters in an NRL preliminary final.

On Saturday, the Knights make the journey back down the M1 with virtually no prospect of finishing in the top eight in 2014.

It’s a devastating fall from grace for Wayne Bennett’s side who have lurched from one setback to the next.

Off the field the club has been in crisis mode from day one dealing with Russell Packer’s jailing, Alex McKinnon’s tragic injury and now the Knights’ ownership handover, a saga which is still ongoing.

It’s been bleak on the field as well, with the Knights on a six-match losing streak.

The feeling that the Knights were building towards a fairytale has quickly evaporated.

Nine Knights players who were there when the Roosters won 40-14 in last year’s elimination final will line-up again on Saturday.

Roosters captain Anthony Minichiello says his team can’t afford to write Newcastle off.

“They’re not sitting too well on the table but every game I’ve watched them in, they’ve been in the game at the end of the match. They’re always a tough pack to play,” he said.

“They’re an experienced team … we’re looking forward to the challenge.

“It’s so tight and congested there in the top eight … you string a few wins together and anything can happen. I’m sure they’ve still got aspirations.”

Minichiello said the defending premiers – now up to fourth – were building towards a return to their best, after a sluggish start to the season.

“We’re starting to build combinations and momentum,” he said.

“We’ve got a tough game this week and then a bye coming up so this game is important for us.

“There’s still much improvement in us yet.”