Lamb could not have asked for a tougher first game with the Knights defeated 38-0 at Allianz Stadium in Mitchell Pearce’s return match from suspension. But he drew praise from his coach Nathan Brown.

"I thought he played really controlled and did really well considering when you look at the circumstances he played in," Brown said of Lamb who was thrown into the cauldron playing five-eighth in the absence of Jarrod Mullen. 

"Obviously there will be some parts that he'll look at and think he can do better, but as a whole he had Boyd Cordner coming at him and he handled him reasonably well. 

"I thought he kicked the ball reasonably well and he looked comfortable out there. He'll only continue to improve as the team can only improve."

Lamb made 24 of his 26 tackles, took the line on seven times and kicked for a whopping 389 metres in a tough initiation into life as a first grade footballer. 

Brown said the Knights would be on very light duties, but admitted he wasn't expecting the week off to ease the ever-growing casualty list that includes Mullen, Kade Snowden and Robbie Rochow.