Coach Ash Wilson has repeatedly stated this season Newcastle are not shying away from any challenge.
This weekend, the Jets face perhaps their biggest challenge of this campaign so far in the high-flying, and well rested, unbeaten A-League Women leaders Sydney FC.
The Sky Blues go into the match at No.2 Sportsground on Sunday night as the short-priced favourites. But Newcastle can take confidence knowing they have been capable of achieving something no other side in the league has - scoring against the virtually untouched competition pace-setters.
Sydney were 3-1 winners when the two sides met at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium in round one on December 4. Jets strike weapon Lauren Allan scored a 67th-minute goal to make the score 2-1 before Newcastle conceded shortly after.
The Sky Blues have since gone a league record eight games straight without conceding a goal and are top of the competition standings with 25 points.
They are four points clear of second-placed Melbourne City (21) after eight wins and one draw. The only team to take a point off Sydney were Western Sydney in a scoreless draw on December 27.
The defending premiers have scored a whopping 28 goals in their nine outings and their attacking threats are numerous. Five players - Mackenzie Hawkesby, Rachel Lowe, Maria Jose Rojas, Vine and Remy Siemsen - are in the league's top nine scorers.
The Jets are sixth on nine points, nine behind Melbourne Victory (18) in fourth.
Newcastle have played one less game than four of the five sides above them. On Sunday they play their fourth game in a fortnight, and third in nine days, while the Sky Blues won't have played in 11 days.
On top of the hectic schedule, the Jets have battled injury, illness and players in isolation this week.
Experienced centre-back Hannah Brewer and the club's all-time leading scorer Tara Andrews did not play in a 1-0 loss to Victory at McDonald Jones Stadium on Tuesday night due to COVID-related isolation, several players battled illness in the match lead-up and striker Sunny Franco was ruled out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury.
Despite the setbacks, Newcastle's goal remains the same - to get as many points as possible with six games remaining.
"Obviously, it's still going to be quite difficult and challenging for us and we're potentially going to be in a position where we have to rely on other results," Wilson said.
"But we've still got six games to go and we want maximum points out of that. That's the goal."
