Pain of defeat motivates Newcastle Knights playmaker Jarrod Mullen ahead of 2014 Knight's Jarrod Mullen during the Sydney Roosters and the Newcastle Knights NRL preliminary final game at Allianz Stadium. RATHER than be buoyed by their surprise run deep into last season's finals series, Newcastle Knights star Jarrod Mullen says he will be using the pain of defeat as his added motivation in 2014. The Knights, minus 10 players on World Cup duty, returned to training yesterday with those remaining put through a fitness beep test at Newcastle University. After sneaking into the play-offs in seventh spot, the Knights eliminated 2012 grand finalists Canterbury and Melbourne before falling to eventual premiers Sydney Roosters just one game shy of the grand final. Newcastle Knights completing a fitness test as their pre-season training begins at the Forum fitness centre at the Newcastle University. "Me personally, I'd never experienced a game to get into a grand final,"he said. So it hurts a lot more getting that close and getting beat. It's a lot more motivation to get back there. That's what Newcastle fans deserve to see. Their team fighting it out for the title. The Knights have lost the irreplaceable Danny Buderus to retirement but have signed Warriors prop Russell Packer, Hull KR halfback Michael Dobson and Queensland Cup playmaker Matt Minto. Injured skipper Kurt Gidley will have a screw taken out of his foot early next month but is racing the clock to be fit for the start of the season.