Tonight, we kick the NPL Northern NSW season off at Whitebridge against Charlestown City Blues.
Following a Foxtel Y-League campaign where finals football was in grasp for much of the season, confidence will be high amongst the group.
It’s Labi Haliti’s first game in charge in the NPL, but he’s been shown the ropes the past 18 months alongside Lawrie McKinna in the technical area and has taken charge of the side over the summer.
NPL: Previewing the season to come
That side has seen a few changes from the one which competed in the local competition last season, with promotions within the main talking point.
Sam Donnellan, who led the scoring charts in the NPL NNSW U/20’s for the Jets in 2018 will be looking to impress this season and may get a chance to do just that tonight.
Some of the boys in the mix for senior football, Noah James and Pat Langlois among them, will be looking for solid hit-outs in their first NPL outings of the season.
Jack Simmons will be unavailable, given he’s currently in Turkey with the Young Socceroos.
With lofty ambitions for the 2019 season following a 2018 which didn’t quite live up to the hype, Charlestown will be looking to start off the season on a high.
Kane Goodchild and Scott Smith are two of the men up front who could prove a handful upfront, if they’re allowed to outmuscle a young yet determined Jets defence.
Jets Youth coach, Labi Haliti is looking forward to the challenge the Blues will present.
“They have an experienced coach [in Dave Tanchevski] who has won things, they’ve also got an experienced squad who have been around and know the league,” Haliti said.
“Last year, there were two good games between us, we won one and lost one, but they were good football games and Thursday will be no different.
“We’ll both be looking to start well, and I’d encourage people to come out and watch us. It’ll be a good game, first up, and the boys will be up for it.
