Sporting Declaration: Can the Jets kick on?

Normally any campaign that ends before the finals kick off would be considered a disappointment, if not an outright failure.

Also-rans, naturally enough, are rarely celebrated, whatever the sporting code.

Yet after the Jets' 3-0 demolition of Wellington Phoenix at Kogarah on Thursday, this is perhaps one occasion when the team finishing eighth of 11, and at least two points adrift of a play-off position, deserve some genuine kudos.

When Jets officials announced on January 6 that Ernie Merrick had been sacked after two-and-a-half years as coach, it was hard to envisage them salvaging many positives from what remained of the season.

At the time, Newcastle were last on the ladder, after two wins from 11 games, and memories were fading fast of the sold-out grand final at McDonald Jones Stadium in Merrick's first season at the helm.

Struggling they might have been, but there were still many who believed the Jets would have been better off sticking with Merrick, whose longevity and two A-League championships with Melbourne Victory would suggest he knows what he is doing, providing he has sufficient talent at his disposal. But with the benefit of hindsight, there seems little doubt that the decision to move him on was correct.

Carl Robinson, the former Welsh international midfielder and Vancouver Whitecaps coach, was appointed to replace Merrick and delivered results from the get-go, launching his tenure with a 4-3 win against derby rivals Central Coast.

Ten games later - which included a four-month shutdown because of the coronavirus pandemic - Robinson had steered the Jets to seven wins, three draws and a solitary defeat.

To put that in context, that's a better run of results than the Jets managed at any point in their 2007-08 championship season, or in 2017-18, when they finished runners-up.

They have been the A-League's best-performed team in that period, scoring 20 goals and conceding 10.

Their win against Wellington completed a clean sweep of the top three, after also beating minor premiers Sydney (2-1) and second-placed Melbourne City (2-1). It would seem fair to assume that the six teams who end up contesting the play-offs will be relieved that the Jets have been consigned to the role of spectators.

Despite failing to reach the finals for the second consecutive year - and the 10th time in the 15 editions of the A-League - the resurgence under Robinson has provided the Novocastrian faithful with solace and a glimmer of hope.

If they can keep this squad together, fans have been saying, then next season Newcastle should be genuine title contenders.

Lo and behold, less than 24 hours after their last-round trouncing of Wellington, the Jets were parting company with one of their real crowd favourites, Dimi Petratos. Petratos is set to join a Saudi Arabian club and, given the pay upgrade he is likely to receive and the transfer fee the Jets will collect, it's a no-brainer for both parties.

His departure, however, leaves the Jets with a void to fill and is a reminder of the battle Robinson faces to keep his squad intact.

Two of the players he brought in, Welsh midfielder Joe Ledley and former Socceroo Bernie Ibini, are out of contract, as is veteran skipper Nigel Boogaard

All are apparently eager to stay, but the Jets - as are all their A-League rivals - are in a state of flux regarding negotiations because the salary cap for next season has not been agreed.

Overseas clubs, many of whom have no restrictions on what they can spend, may well start to capitalise on this uncertainty by waving their chequebooks.

The other complicating factor is that it remains unclear whether Chinese businessman Martin Lee will still own the Jets next season.

Lee has been eager to sell up for more than a year, and while there have reportedly been some expressions of interest, it would seem unlikely that any deal will be struck imminently.

Moreover, if any prospective buyer does agree to Lee's terms, they would then need to convince Football Federation Australia that they are a fit and proper person to hold an A-League licence.

Lee has owned the Jets for four seasons now, a "hobby" that has cost him a reported $15 million. Only he would know how much more he is willing to invest.

I was intrigued to note this week a report speculating that Australian Professional Football Clubs Association - the body formed by the owners of A-League clubs - might be willing to provide a financial "safety net" for the Jets and/or the Central Coast Mariners, by assuming their licences on an interim basis, until they can be sold on.

That this is even a "worst-case scenario" talking point highlights the critical juncture the A-League has reached, in terms of its ongoing viability.

Nonetheless, finishing this season as they have is a credit to Newcastle's players, coaching staff and management.

It would be nice to think the club is heading in the right direction. But now, perhaps more than ever, it would be naive to take anything for granted.

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