FORMER Jets skipper Ruben Zadkovich will be chasing his first coaching success in six attempts against his old side when the Brisbane Roar host Newcastle at Suncorp Stadium tonight.
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![Ruben Zadkovich after his 2018 grand final success with Broadmeadow Magic. Picture by Jonathan Carroll Ruben Zadkovich after his 2018 grand final success with Broadmeadow Magic. Picture by Jonathan Carroll](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/AFKkRPHwQbXhqFfb42nFTx/9864d6d0-4194-48e6-9445-62bfa6c86e56.jpg/r369_1187_5184_2915_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Zadkovich was promoted from assistant to head coach of the Roar in January when his predecessor, Ben Cahn, was forced to stand down for medical reasons.
The 37-year-old, who played in 97 A-League games for Newcastle and then won a Northern NSW NPL championship as coach of Broadmeadow Magic, had spent the previous two seasons at the helm of Perth Glory.
In that time, his team played five times against the Jets, for three draws and two losses.
The Roar desperately need a win to keep their slim finals hopes flickering.
With three rounds to play, they are five points behind the top six, and will probably need to win three games to have any hope of scraping into the play-offs.
Brisbane's record since Zadkovich took over is three wins, three draws and three defeats.
The Jets are coming off a breakthrough 3-1 win against Sydney FC but remain under pressure, as they are only two points ahead of Western United and Perth, in what shapes as a scramble to avoid the wooden spoon.
"We've got to back it up with a win," Jets midfielder Daniel Wilmering said.
"I don't think we've had back-to-back wins this season, so that'd be a good things to do for the first time ... that's something we definitely want."
Wilmering said it had been "a tough time, with everything that is happening around the club", as players wait to learn whether new owners will emerge to ensure Newcastle has an A-League team next season.
"But as players, we can't really focus on that," he said. "That's out of our control."
But I think a win is good not only for the teams, but also for the fans and everyone involved with the club."