The sense of deja vu surrounding the region's flagship round-ball team, an unusual starting date, Christmas holidays, and the ongoing COVID situation provided a passable alibi.

Rumours that a gentle suggestion regarding extra time for domestic chores jolted my focus are not without some foundation, but if the fans can stick solid in troubled times, so can I. Lord knows we're not short of practice.

And therein lies the danger for the future of a Newcastle entity in the national competition.

We all shrug our shoulders, mutter words to the effect that it's nothing unusual, same old same old, and reassured by platitudes about the region's importance to the code, and a viable A-League, ignore the fact that maybe, just maybe, we are running out of chances.

The current rescue package is funded by owners from a handful of the other clubs, who now more or less control the running of the A-League, and while they may have acted in good faith and noble intention in this instance, you have to wonder if they will be as patient as an FFA or Federation might have been, as a question of constitution or charter?

Newcastle is vital to the TV deal at the moment, and can be an important component to a vibrant A-League, but it's hard to imagine those providing a safety net, committing a plethora of funding to the project, in order for the Jets to finish above their own clubs.

Would you be happy doing that?

Similarly, if the Jets get it wrong again, and those in charge of the rescue mission have a well-capitalised alternative, could they be blamed for heading in a different direction?

It is understandably a time of relief, a release of some anxiety for players and staff, which they are well entitled to.

But as we await news of a new owner, and a 12th coach in almost as many years, why are we expecting anything different? In fact are we?

I must confess to a continuing unwavering surprise about how much emphasis people place on coaches in comparison to players.

Not just here but all over the world. Klopp at Liverpool is a brilliant operator, but gets his best results when Van Dyk plays in the middle of defence and Allison is in goal. Does he coach better then?

Certainly some coaches are better than others, and I'm sure the Jets have had some decent ones in the last dozen employed, but all have suffered due to lack of resources or capital in building a squad, in recruiting and retaining quality players, in finding some match-winners.

Is the next coaching appointment, whoever it may be, going to change that reality without improved resources?

Similarly is the next owner going to be the Messiah? Can we find one that enjoys losing money at a fairly significant and consistent rate? Unlikely, but are we going to try a different method? Err, not right now.

If we accept, not unreasonably, that a regional club is unlikely to consistently compete with the bigger clubs financially, we can deduce that it must produce its own.

That has not happened satisfactorily for too long, but seems to me a more likely plan to succeed than finding the jackpot benefactor.

You can point to Angus Thurgate, as an anomaly (from Port Macquarie, by the way), or keep doing whatever we are doing by way of youth development, and hope for the best, or perhaps bite the bullet and take a good look at the shortcomings.

In the final weeks before the season kicked off, Craig Deans had about six roster spots available for what we might term project players, and had to reach to Adelaide, Sydney, and an old favourite in Ali Abbas to fill up the ranks. Point made, I think.

As ever we wish the team, and whoever coaches, nothing but the best, while hoping that some important changes can be at least considered, if not implemented.