In this week’s edition of Jets Insider, Jobe Wheelhouse in answering questions submitted by the Club’s Members and supporters.
In this week-s edition of Jets Insider, Hunter Ports Newcastle Jets captain Jobe Wheelhouse in answering questions submitted by the Club-s Members and supporters.
Wheelhouse covers topics including what it is like to captain his hometown Club, the impact David Beckham could have on the A-League and his ambition to finish his career in Newcastle
@Buddha14 asks via Twitter: How does it feel Jobe to be captain of your local club and to be the first local to reach 100 games?
Jobe Wheelhouse (JW): Obviously it-s a big thrill to play 100 games for my hometown Club and be captain of the side because not many people get to do that.
I-ve said it before, it probably should have been more like 200, but hopefully I can have more of an injury-free back-end to my career than what I had at the start, when I was young.
Renee Balder asks via email: How would you rate the team-s start to the season so far?
JW: It-s probably been a bit up and down. That-s just the way the competition is, we probably haven-t played our best at times and won and at other times we-ve played really well and lost.
We aren-t anywhere near hitting our straps yet and that-s probably a good thing considering we-re in third place at the moment.
Shannon Tonkin asks via email: Can you pinpoint a reason why the Jets seem to struggle against certain teams like Perth and Wellington, but have good results against teams like the Victory?
JW: I-m not sure. I think if we could pinpoint it we-d be winning those games. We probably find it a bit harder to play against teams like Wellington because they don-t come at us, they like to sit off and play on the counter.
In terms of Melbourne Victory, they like to play and they leave a bit of space in behind because of that. We like it when teams come at us because it makes it easier for us to play.
Geoff Watson asks via email: You-ve been a great servant of the Club. Would you like to play your whole career at the Newcastle Jets?
JW: I-d love to, but that-s probably not entirely up to me, it-s up to the hierarchy and whether the Club want to keep me here or not. Obviously I want to stay and play as many games for my hometown as I can but like I said that-s out of my hands.
Jamie Green asks via email: Since becoming Jets captain have you found that you-ve changed much in terms of the way you play and also the way you interact with the group?
JW: I wouldn-t say I-ve changed a great deal. I-d say in terms of discipline, the fire in my game is a bit more controlled aggression.
I-ve always been a boy-s boy so I like to hang out and get along with all the boys and you have to as captain. You have to make sure that everyone in the squad is happy and I-ve probably learned a lot on that side of things.
Brad Peters asks via email: Would you ever consider a career in coaching after your playing days are over?
JW: I wouldn-t be a head coach for all money, that-s for sure. I like interacting with kids and I-m actually in the process of starting up a soccer school and clinics in the next six months or so. It-s something I-m really looking forward to and it-ll keep me busy off the park.
Carrie Lewis asks via email: What sort of impact do you think David Beckham will have on the A-League if he comes here?
JW: It-d be a massive coup. He-s one of the best players that-s played the game and in terms of his profile he-s probably the biggest name there-s been in world football.
You saw when he came to Newcastle for the LA Galaxy game the stadium was full. He-ll bring an extra 15,000 to 20,000 people that don-t normally come to a football match. That-s the type of person he is, he brings crowds, he brings hype and it-d be amazing for him to play in the A-League.
@sorrellz Has Emile Heskey made a big difference to the team?
JW: It speaks volumes what he-s done for the Club, the city and the boys. His influence on the team has been great and you-ve seen that in the first five or six weeks with our results.
He-s scoring goals and he-s giving a lot of encouragement and information to the young boys and I think they-re getting a great deal out of it.
Nev Wallace asks via email: You played in the 2003 FIFA Youth World Cup. Can you tell us about that experience? What advice would you give to the Club-s Young Socceroos representatives that have just qualified for the 2013 tournament?
JW: It was a really good experience. It was in Dubai and I remember it very clearly.
It was actually when my ankle problems started. We played Brazil in our last group match and I-d rolled my ankle two nights before. It was a bit of a mess, but I was luck enough to come on in the last 20 minutes and we ended up beating them 3-2. They had the likes of Dani Alves who plays for Barcelona now and they ended up winning the competition.
I-m pretty sure we were the first Australian team to beat Brazil in any international competition so it was a big moment for all of us.
My advice for our boys in the Young Socceroos at the moment is to enjoy the good times as much as you can. You might only get the chance to represent Australia a few times and it-s a big thrill, especially at a World Cup. I-m sure they-ll have a blast and won-t take anything for granted.
Steve Fitzgerald asks via email: What would you consider to be your career highlights so far?
JW: Probably the Youth World Cup and the 2008 Grand Final win stand out.
The year we won the competition we had a really good side with a really good balance of players and I think that-s why we managed to do so well. I see similarities between that squad and the one we have this season.
@George_Devetak Which local Newcastle players could play A-League if given the chance to train fulltime?
JW: It-s very hard to single certain players out because I don-t get to see them that often. Some players I-m sure would be able to step up to the level given the opportunity.
Coming and training with us is one thing and a lot of players have been able to join in with us and do well. There-s a big step-up from training to being able to play at an A-League level week-to-week.
It-s a really tough competition and I think certain players probably could adapt to it, but it-s all about the opportunity.
For next week-s Jets Insider interview, Jets defender Scott Neville will answer YOUR questions. Simply tweet your question using the #JetsInsider hashtag or send your question to communications@huntersportsgroup.com by COB Wednesday. Then check back in Jets Insider next week to see if your question is answered.
