It’s a second broadcast, primetime, Thursday night match for the Newcastle Jets this season as they hunt for a third consecutive Westfield W-League win.
This week, the women will welcome Brisbane Roar at McDonald Jones Stadium.
REVIEW: A look-back on the Wanderers win
Here are five things to know ahead of that massive clash.
A good record
This weekend’s opponents, Brisbane Roar, are a side who the Jets have traditionally enjoyed playing.
In the past five outings between the two clubs, the Jets haven’t suffered defeat to Brisbane despite the Queensland side’s traditional good record in the competition.
In fact, you have to go all the way back to Round 3 in the 2014 season for the last time the Roar beat the Jets.
And that was a defeat away from home – the last time Brisbane won out in Newcastle was in Round 7 of the Westfield W-League 2013/14 season.
Gilly is Wright back amongst it
Unless you’ve been living under a rock this week, the big news out of Jets HQ is that Arin Gilliland is back for the 2018/19 season!
Of course, ‘Gilly’ is no longer Gilliland – but Wright, after tying the knot in October.
It’s a signing which adds more depth to Craig Deans’ ranks and takes the side’s international (and American!) contingent to four.
Despite no minutes under her belt since the NWSL decider in September, Wright has reported fit for duty. Could she feature on Thursday night?
Potential for three in a row
In what was the Newcastle’s best W-League season of all-time in 2017/18, even they couldn’t manage to put together three wins on the trot.
There was that five-game unbeaten run in the middle of the season of course, but a win on Thursday could see the Jets fly up the ladder.
Three points could take Newcastle from fourth to second, within a point of league leaders Melbourne Victory who face Adelaide United this weekend.
Tight at the back
Consecutive 1-0 wins have ensured Newcastle have picked up all six points on offer in the past two weeks, but there’s more to it than that.
Even with the absence of centre-back, Larissa Crummer across both games and midfield general, Emily van Egmond in the last outing in Western Sydney, the Jets have kept two clean sheets in three attempts.
Only Adelaide United have kept more, but it’s certainly good signs for the Jets defence moving forward who have conceded just twice this season.
Stengel laying on the goals
Katie Stengel led the goal scoring charts last season for Newcastle and came in close behind Sam Kerr in the league-wide standings.
So far this season, she’s without a goal but is proving her worth (and then some) at the front end with her selflessness.
Stengel has assisted two of the Jets’ three goals this season but has played a part in all three.
The front woman directly laid on both of Cortnee Vine’s goals this season, as well as having a hand in Jenna Kingsley’s winner last weekend at Marconi Stadium.
It’s good on a number of fronts for Newcastle, and for Stengel who is becoming more and more of a handful for opposition defences.
