Instead the one-time wannabe hip-hop star will be lining up for Brisbane Roar against the Jets in a friendly in Coffs Harbour on Saturday.

What's more, the silken-skilled winger is fresh from a hat-trick.

Champness struck three times in the first half of the Roar's 5-2 win over a Queensland NPL All Star side last Saturday.

It was his fourth game back after an 18-month break from the game to pursue a rap career in the USA,

Champness had agreed to a two-year extension with the Jets before jetting off to Los Angeles. But on his return in October, he turned his back on the Jets to link with his home-town club.

"We lodged the three-year contract with the FFA. It's registered," Jets chief executive Lawrie McKinna said in October.

The sticking point was a clause which stipulated that if Champness did not return to football before the end of May that he would be released from the contract, but the Jets would have first right of refusal on his services if he returns to the A-League.

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After protracted talks, the Jets agreed to loan Champness to the Roar for a season.

The 23-year-old has seemingly picked up where he left off at the Jets.

"We slowly got into our rhythm and from there we were able to play our game and working on the style of things we want to bring in to the season," Champness said after Saturday's game. "We want to score goals and it was a positive performance from the boys - another step forward. "

Many of the defenders at the Jets were there when Champness called Newcastle home.

"Obviously we know enough about him," Jets caretaker coach Craig Deans said. "There will be players who are just as dangerous as Joey in other parts of the field. We are not going to focus on one player."

However, there has been a switch in focus from attack to defence.

The Jets have scored 11 goals in their past three hit-outs, but they have also leaked goals regularly in consecutive 3-all draws with Macarthur and Melbourne City.

"On Tuesday we devoted the whole session pretty much to defending and organisation," Deans said. "We have a session on Thursday where we will talk about it again. The day before a game we don't do much tactical work."

Deans said it was a matter of getting everyone to "understand their roles" and make sure they are "all on the same page".

"Defending nowadays is not just the defenders," he said. "You defend from front and everyone has to understand their roles and how it works together."

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