Newcastle Jets Teams Ignite Fire with High-Flying Form and Belief
The Newcastle Jets men's squad is riding a wave of confidence, positioned second on the ladder and brimming with belief as they pursue a historic victory. This Saturday evening, they are set to play in front of what is anticipated to be the largest A-League crowd at McDonald Jones Stadium since 2019.
Meanwhile, their A-League Women counterparts are hoping to harness that positive energy as they strive to re-enter the top six. They will host second-placed Wellington Phoenix at No.2 Sportsground on Sunday afternoon.
Women's Team Aims to Emulate Men's Success
Both teams have demonstrated significant promise this campaign, signalling positive strides for a club that has been undergoing a gradual rebuild under new ownership. The women's side made their best-ever start to a season but recently slipped to eighth place following a 2-1 loss to Adelaide United.
Despite this setback, they remain just two points behind the Phoenix in a tightly contested competition, with eight games remaining in the season.
Jets defender Claudia Cicco highlighted the inspiration drawn from the men's team. "Most of us girls and even the coaching staff are looking at the men because they have been doing really well," she said. "They've been scoring really good goals, and they have a lot of belief. That's what we need to make sure we keep doing, and we need to believe in ourselves, that we can do this. We can be like the boys, we can smash teams and make the whole atmosphere really good."
Coach Echoes Sentiment of Mutual Inspiration
Jets coach Stephen Hoyle, in his inaugural season leading an A-League Women's side, reinforced this viewpoint. "I love watching the men. I went to watch the Phoenix game last week. They play exciting football," Hoyle remarked. "It's a brand of football that I would like to be involved in as a player, and I enjoy seeing how they're coached and what they do as well. So, I think for us, when the club is doing well and the men's side is doing well, it helps us. It gives more energy into the club."
Cicco returned to the starting lineup against Adelaide after missing a historic 3-1 victory over leaders Melbourne City due to suspension. Reflecting on the recent match, she noted, "I felt like that first half against Adelaide, we were killing it and we should have probably been up a couple more goals than what we were. Potentially we were quite exhausted after that, and I feel like other teams probably knew that too. After four games, anyone's gonna be pretty tired."
Squad Refreshed and Ready for Wellington Challenge
The team enjoyed a well-deserved weekend off following the loss to Adelaide, allowing them to recuperate and refocus. "It was definitely nice to have a break," Cicco shared. "I think we all needed a little reset, and were all quite sore after those four games. But we're ready to go for this week."
Wellington Phoenix, currently on 18 points, boast the best attacking and defensive statistics in the women's competition, having scored 21 goals and conceded just nine in 11 outings. They arrive in Newcastle after securing back-to-back wins over Canberra United and Adelaide United.
"Wellington are obviously doing well. They're coming second on the ladder and we've dropped a couple of spots. But it is so tight," Cicco added, emphasising the competitive nature of the league.
As both Jets teams prepare for their respective matches, the shared sense of belief and ambition within the club continues to grow, setting the stage for an exciting weekend of football in Newcastle.
