Newcastle Jets vice captain Joel Griffiths says the Jets are looking for a performance displaying more pride and passion for the jersey when they take on Western Sydney Wanderers at Pirtek Stadium on Saturday.
“We have to show a bit more pride and passion on the field and that goes for the whole team,” Griffiths said.
“We’ve put the Brisbane Roar match behind us now and we’re looking forward to playing the Wanderers and hopefully putting on a good performance.
“It’s important that we all get stuck in. Training has been really good this week, so I think everyone’s attitude is switched on.”
Griffiths said the Jets had an opportunity to prove wrong the critics who had written Newcastle off after a slow start to the season.
“I can only speak for myself, but I always like to prove people wrong,” Griffiths said.
“I think as a group now we have progressed (since the pre-season), but we just can’t afford to have pretty much 11 players not show up because we’ll end up getting the same result against the Wanderers is we do.
“We’re focused on what we have in front of us, we’re committed and we’ll be looking to show that pride for the jersey.”
The Jets’ all-time leading goal scorer said the Jets expected a tough challenge against the newly-crowned Asian Champions on Saturday.
“Obviously with them being back at Wanderland it will be a big challenge and they’ll definitely be up for it,” Griffiths said.
“But to be honest I don’t really care about the Wanderers, I just care about us turning up on the night.
“If we do that and we stick to the game plan and our structure, we’ll be fine because we do have a lot of good players in this team.”
Griffiths said it was important the Jets don’t take for granted the opportunity they get to represent Newcastle and play in the Hyundai A-League week-in, week-out.
“I’ve just tried to emphasise how important it is when you’re given a chance in the A-League to make the most of it, because some people don’t get chances like this,” Griffiths said.
“You only live once and it’s important you grab your chance because is two years time you might not be in this situation.
“I think I can speak about that because I’ve been in that situation before, at the crossroads so to speak, when I was younger and possibly heading down the wrong track.”
