Sporting Declaration: Why this is a massive week for the Newcastle Knights and Jets

Over the course of the next seven days, both teams have a chance to make emphatic statements to their long-suffering fans by winning crucial games.

Let's start with the Jets, who tonight host defending champions Western United in what shapes as a pivotal juncture in their A-League campaign.

After 17 rounds, Newcastle are on the cusp of the top six. They are actually equal fifth on 24 competition points, but seventh on for-and-against.

The fact that Central Coast sit second on 27 points shows how tight the premiership table is.

If they can beat United and other results fall in their favour, Newcastle could well climb into the top four this weekend, with eight regular-season rounds to play.

It has been a remarkable turnaround from Arthur Papas' men, who earlier in the season were performing an uncanny impersonation of a lost cause after suffering five defeats in the space of six games.

Since then they've been unbeaten in their past six starts, including three wins from their past four outings.

As the season has unfolded, the Jets seem to have come to terms with what is required to grind out results.

Last season, their first under Papas, they scored the third-most goals in the A-League (45) but conceded 43 and finished a distant 10 points adrift of the top six.

They played an enterprising brand of football, but it counted for little, because they were consigned to the ranks of the also-rans long before the finals kicked off.

That was a familiar story, given that Newcastle have not featured in the play-offs since 2017-18, the year they hosted the grand final at a sold-out McDonald Jones Stadium, only to lose 1-0 to Melbourne Victory after a video-refereeing debacle.

Moreover, in the 17 completed A-League seasons, Newcastle have reached the business end of proceedings only five times, collecting three wooden spoons along the way.

Now, for the first time in recent memory, they appear a genuine chance of qualifying for the post-season, and tonight's showdown is potentially the crossroads in their campaign.

United might be the defending champions, but they are currently languishing on the bottom rung of the competition ladder after three consecutive losses.

It's the sort of game that, so often over the years, the Jets have found a way to lose.

This is no time for a slip-up. A win tonight will only add to their momentum and belief, and rest assured that if they are in finals contention two months down the track, their fickle followers will emerge from hibernation and vacant seats on the bandwagon will be few and far between.

For Knights fans, meanwhile, there are only six more sleeps until their 36^th crusade kicks off, when they tackle the Warriors in Wellington on Friday night.

Only the most parochial of Novocastrian diehards will be counting down the days with any degree of optimism.

Not only are the Knights coming off a horror season in which they won only six games and finished 14^th, but their form in the trial matches has provided little cause for comfort.

In two pre-season hit-outs, Newcastle were beaten 28-16 by Cronulla and 36-14 by Parramatta. Of course, trials count for nothing and are literally a pointless exercise that will have been long forgotten by the time September rolls around.

But perhaps the real worry was that, statistically at least, there did not appear to have any great signs of improvement on what they dished up last year.

From an attacking viewpoint, it's understandable if the Knights were slightly clunky, considering they have a new-look spine and everyone is lacking match fitness.

But I would imagine coach Adam O'Brien was less than impressed with how flimsy the defence was at times.

In particular, skipper Kalyn Ponga, in his new role at five-eighth, was exposed several times by the Eels and will need to roll up his sleeves in a hurry, because there is certain to be plenty more heavy traffic heading in his direction.

Throw in this week's news that young winger Dominic Young has signed with the Sydney Roosters and, not surprisingly, the general consensus seems to be this could be a long year.

Nonetheless, there were a number of positives to emerge from Newcastle's trials.

Fullback Lachlan Miller was energetic and I reckon he could rapidly develop into a Robbie O'Davis-style crowd favourite.

Winger Greg Marzhew also produced a number of powerful runs and bore more than a passing resemblance to Penrith metre-eater Brian To'o.

Newcastle also have two other key off-season recruits, Adam Elliott and Jack Hetherington, to come into the pack, along with Mat Croker, who has been sidelined through suspension.

Perhaps most importantly, the Knights have shown in recent seasons that trial form is irrelevant.

I can remember a number of pre-season defeats at Maitland Sports Ground against Parramatta, Cronulla and St George Illawarra, yet Newcastle have not lost a round-one game since 2017.

This time next week, we'll have a better idea how both of our teams are travelling.

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