1 week Ago By Josh Callinan
JETS coach Rob Stanton believes his players remain undistracted by the pending departure of the club's CEO as the squad prepares for over 6000 kilometres of travel during the next four weeks. Login or signup to continue reading Stanton praised the efforts of Shane Mattiske, who officially announced on Wednesday he was wrapping up an almost four-year tenure , after helping keep the Newcastle outfit afloat and eventually negotiating a sale with new owners Maverick Sports Partners. On the field and Newcastle return from their second weekend off in the space of three, meeting rivals Central Coast Mariners in a derby down at Sydney's Allianz Stadium on Friday night (8pm) as part of the A-League's Unite Round.
It kick starts a run of four straight fixtures for the Jets, but three elsewhere and featuring two of the longest road trips in the men's national competition - Auckland and Perth. However, Stanton was focused on Newcastle's game at hand despite the logistical challenges ahead and Mattiske's days in charge now coming to an end. "Shane's not a guy to intervene and be here all the time so it's not really a distraction for anyone," Stanton said before Thursday's training session at Maitland Sportsground.
"Our job is just to play football. That stuff is being taken care of and I've got no concerns with where that's heading. This point of time we just focus on what we need to do.
" Mattiske has indicated he will depart before Christmas with Maurice Bisetto from Maverick Sports Partners acting as interim CEO until a replacement is finalised. Stanton was appointed Jets coach by Mattiske midway through last year, leading into the 2023-2024 season. "When I arrived we were going through ownership so it was obviously a difficult time and Shane was left to carry a lot of that responsibility," Stanton said.
"He was someone I had to lean on a lot in the early stages, working closely with to try and find solutions for what we could do and what we couldn't do. "Through his leadership and organisation skills, enabled me to get on with what I needed to do and adapt to the role straight away under difficult circumstances. "Last year was probably one of the most difficult times for the club and I think he managed the club through that period to find owners.
"I don't think people understand the difficulty in that role and what he had to do, what other staff members were going through as well. "My job was probably easier just to worry about the football side of things, but he had a lot more on his plate. "When we look at where we sit today, we're in a good position today to move forward even further.
I think he's done a great job in that regard." The Jets travel to the NSW state capital before away trips in opposite directions either side of a second home game for 2024-2025. During this next stretch Newcastle have a neutral meeting with Central Coast (November 22), visit newcomers Auckland (November 30), host Adelaide at McDonald Jones Stadium (December 7) and then head to Perth (December 14).
"We knew this was coming so actually back to pre-season and put us through a really rigorous match program where we were away a lot," Stanton said. "Six games away, which included a long trip to Perth over nearly 10 hours and then quick turnarounds as well while we were there. "So we've tried to expose the players and we're kind of used to it a little bit, we've prepared for it.
"In saying that, a lot of our best games have been when we're away. "For some reason the players seem to enjoy each other's company, enjoy being away on a trip, bond better, connect better. "Maybe it's the fact they are spending more time together and their focus is more channelled towards the game.
"I don't see it as a hiccup being away a long time. You want to play at home and you want to play well at home, but it is what it is and we'll deal with it. "A similar case to last season, the back end will be our strength.
" Stanton suggested injured recruit Lachlan Rose wouldn't play against the Mariners, still sidelined and waiting to debut for his new club. "He's 50-50. I'd suggest he might not be there.
I'll give him as long as I can to get him on there. We miss him," Stanton said. "I think he's a player who gives us that leadership at the front there which we're probably missing.
If he's not there we've got to find a way without him." The Jets sit ninth on the ladder after starting this campaign with a win and two losses, most recently 4-1 to Wanderers on November 8. The last time Newcastle and Central Coast met at the same Moore Park venue, previously known as the Sydney Football Stadium, was the 2007-2008 grand final.
That result went 1-0 in favour of the Jets. My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team.
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