If anyone thinks the Australia Cup doesn’t mean much to players, the Newcastle Jets are keen to prove you wrong.
The Rob Stanton-coached outfit heads into its round of 16 fixture against the Macarthur Bulls at the Maitland Regional Sportsground this weekend.
And, they’re deadly serious about giving the tournament a good shake.
After exciting victories over Western United (4-1) and the Rockdale City Suns (2-1) in their earlier matches, the Jets have a great opportunity to book a berth in the quarter-finals of the pre-season competition on Sunday 25 August.
“Every time we take the field, we want to win,” midfielder Callum Timmins said.
“With the way we finished 2023/24, and our first couple of matches in the Australia Cup, we’re building a bit of confidence within the group.
“But, the main goal is to claim the whole thing, so we can’t drop the ball against Macarthur.
“We want results.
“Even with the young lads who’ve come in, they’re very mature in how they play.
“So, I’m sure they’ll be up for it, too.”
Following two encounters on the road, including a trip to Darwin, Timmins admitted it was nice to be back “home”.
“We played an Australia Cup game in Maitland last season, with a very good atmosphere,” he said.
“There was a great buzz around the pitch.
“Obviously, the result wasn’t terrific, however we’re keen to reverse that this weekend.
“Being at the ground, where we train daily, should be an advantage.
“Plus, we’ll have the local fans, and our friends, cheering us on, which means it’s important we do the Hunter proud.
“But, we’re not getting ahead of ourselves.
“People keep saying there aren’t many A-League sides left in the draw, however we can’t underestimate anyone.
“The State League teams boast really good players, too.
“At the moment, our focus is solely on the Bulls and our game.”
With the departures of experienced campaigners such as Jason Hoffman, Brandon O’Neill, Carl Jenkinson and Apostolos Stamatelopoulos, Timmins feels now is the time for the next leaders to step up, including himself.
“I’m at an age where I want to achieve something,” he told the Newcastle Weekly.
“With the team we’ve got, with the players we’ve brought in, I think we can do that.
“Personally, I’d like to improve my stats, like goals and assists, for example.
“However, collectively as a unit, we want to continue to build on what we’ve done… and win.
“So, the older guys need to take more responsibility on the paddock.
“There is a good feeling around the place.
“We’ve had another pre-season under Rob… and understanding the way he wants us to play better.
“We also have more cohesion in the side.
“Some of the lads have played alongside each other for a while now and we’ve got good staff all around driving the standards day-in and day-out.
“As long as we keep improving, making progress, I’m confident a big season isn’t far away.”
The showdown kicks off at 3pm.
For more sports stories:
- Newcastle High on the ball in Bill Turner Cup
- ALM: Grimaldi confident Jets will ‘put on a show’ at Maitland
- ALM: Young gun Will Dobson kicks a goal with Jets
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