JETS coach Arthur Papas has reminded his players that positions are up for grabs as they deal with the frustration of a three-week hiatus between games.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Newcastle have had two fixtures postponed - at home to Western Sydney Wanderers and Melbourne City - because of the recent spike in COVID-19 cases.
Their most recent game was a 2-1 loss to Macarthur FC on December 19 and they won't play again until Saturday's clash with Wellington Phoenix in Wollongong.
Papas admits the situation is "not ideal", especially as the deferred games could be rescheduled at short notice.
But one positive is that fringe players who are eager for game time get a chance to press their claims during training sessions and in-house trials.
"That's the way it works for me, regardless," Papas told the Newcastle Herald.
"One good result doesn't mean I keep the same team, or a poor result doesn't mean I make a lot of changes.
"It's always about how we operate on the training field.
"That last game we played is done now, and we've talked about how everyone in the squad now has the same opportunity.
"So if you haven't been playing and you feel you should be playing, now's the time to put your best foot forward.
"And the ones who have been playing, it's up to them to show they still deserve their spot."
Papas said it was important that his players kept training at the same intensity.
"We didn't anticipate three weeks between games, and we don't know what's coming up next, so it's not like we can take a break," Papas said.
"We're still preparing for games and expecting they'll be on, until we get told otherwise.
"So it's important that we're training. We need to keep fit and we're adapting our schedule to suit whenever a game gets called off.
"We need to keep focusing on what we can control."
Given Newcastle played only a handful of pre-season hit-outs because of the statewide lockdown, Papas said more game time was "a key thing" for his team to keep improving, after a win, two draws and two defeats from the first five A-League rounds.
"You need continuity to keep building, so stop-start isn't the best way to go," he said.
He said his players had been "fantastic" in taking every precaution to avoid the coronavirus.
