Ernie Merrick has continued to promote his squads youth as they head towards the end of their 2018/19 Hyundai A-League campaign.
The Jets will play out their penultimate fixture for the season at Suncorp Stadium – historically a happy hunting ground for the Club – taking on a Roar side coming off the back of a win over Wellington.
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The biggest inclusion is undoubtedly Jack Simmons, with the prodigious talent plucked from the Jets youth team by Merrick to join the senior squad.
Simmons has taken part in some preseason competitions and regularly trains with the first team, and this is the second time he’s featured in a provisional Hyundai A-League squad.
Fellow scholarship player Pat Langlois is also pushing for a debut following some strong performances in the Northern NSW NPL.
Angus Thurgate seems likely to earn just the second start of his career, with the Port Macquarie product earning high praise from Merrick in yesterday’s media conference.
Newcastle Jets: 1.Glen MOSS (gk), 4.Nigel BOOGAARD (c), 5.Ben KANTAROVSKI, 6.Steven UGARKOVIC, 7.Dimi PETRATOS, 9.Roy O’DONOVAN, 11.Kwabena APPIAH, 13.Ivan VUJICA, 14.Kaine SHEPPARD, 18.Johnny KOUTROUMBIS, 20.Lewis ITALIANO (gk), 22.Lachlan JACKSON, 23.Matt RIDENTON, 24.Joe CHAMPNESS, 25.Jack SIMMONS, 28.Pat LANGLOIS, 32.Angus THURGATE, 44.Nikolai TOPOR-STANLEY
**two to be omitted**
Ins: 11.Kwabena APPIAH (promoted), 25.Jack SIMMONS (promoted), 28.Pat LANGLOIS (promoted)
Outs: 10.Ronald VARGAS (omitted), 17.Daniel GEORGIEVSKI (omitted)
Unavailable: 3.Jason HOFFMAN (ankle – TBC)
