The Mata'utia clan are as close as brothers can be but oldest brother Peter has given his siblings a wide berth this week ahead of the Dragons' must-win clash with the Knights at Jubilee Oval.

Sione and Chanel Mata'utia proved a revelation for the Knights last year, bagging 12 tries between them in just seven top-grade appearances.

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After a breakout year the pair, and fourth brother Pat, were at the centre of a tug-of-war for their services between the Bulldogs and the Knights before re-committing to Newcastle on a three-year package deal in March.

Sione in particular was one of the most in-demand young players in the game, having made his Test debut after just seven NRL games during last year's Four Nations.

It's been a tougher ride this year with Sione managing just two tries in 16 games and Chanel only earning a recall to the top grade this week.

Their dip in form was part of a horror run for the Knights that culminated in the sacking of coach Rick Stone this week.

Peter debuted under Stone at the Knights in 2011 and said he was sad to see him shown the door.

"He coached me growing up from the juniors and I've had a lot to do with Stoney," Peter said.

"I gave him a text on Monday just to let him know I was thinking about him and hopefully something works out for him in the future.

"I think he deserves another chance [in the NRL] but I'm at the Dragons now and I've just got to worry about getting us the two points this week. "We understand the reality that there's less games for us now and we have to start winning."

Sione and Chanel won bragging rights the last time the sides met, with the Knights handing the Dragons a 40-10 hammering in round 26 last year and Sione bagging a double.

With the Dragons' season resting on Peter getting the nod this week he said he's kept the banter to a minimum.

"I haven't really spoken to my brothers about [Stone's sacking] but I gave them a text on Tuesday night just to congratulate them on being in the team again," he said.

"Especially Chanel, it's been a while since he played an NRL game but I left it at that. I think my mentality has changed this week [compared to last year]. It's all about the team and doing our job to get the two points instead of worrying about the brotherly banter."

While the Mata'utia name will remain synonymous with Newcastle for at least three more years, Peter has now firmly established himself as a Dragon notching 14 games for the season including 13 straight, his longest unbroken stint in the NRL since debuting as a teenager in 2011.

"This is the most games I've played consistently and I'm really happy with how far I've come," Mata'utia said.