Deans took over from Branko Culina just hours before the new Hyundai A League season.

The Jets' youth coach stepped into the breach and has earned one win and one defeat so far this term, the latter coming in today's 2-0 reverse at Wellington.

But he admitted a quick decision, whether it was him or someone else, was in the club's best interests.

"That's out of my control and out of the players' control," he said when asked about his tenure as caretaker.

"I would imagine the club will be getting closer to a decision on the person they want. How long it would take for them to agree with that person and for that person to get here, I don't know.

"But I think it would be a good thing for all of us to know which direction we're going in, in terms of which coach it is."

Gary van Egmond is said to be very close to finalising his return as Newcastle coach after taking the club to the Championship in 2007-8.

But pay deal wrangles between previous owner Con Constantine and key players saw an exodus of talent from the Jets and van Egmond suffered the indignity of going from hero to zero when he collected the wooden spoon the following season.

The FFA and AIS offered him an escape route from cost-cutting Constantine and he left to move to Canberra (although legal threats from Constantine initially denied him the job with the FFA).

Now sources in Newcastle suggest he has been tempted to return to club management after his spells with the Australian youth set-up and pick up where he left off with the Jets...but this time with a realistic budget.

But the club stressed caretaker coach Deans's future did not hang on the weekend's result in New Zealand, where his club have traditionally struggled.

Jets' veteran midfielder Kasey Wehrman admitted that although he enjoyed playing in Wellington, his team haven't prospered on Kiwi soil.

The former Socceroo said: "I'm a big believer in it just being 11 against 11.

"Wherever you're playing you should play the same way. Of course when you come here, you know it's going to be difficult. You've got to pay them the respect of the record they do have here."

He added: "It's a difficult trip, everyone talks about it the whole week through and it's a tough, tough place to come to and we want to make that the same as our ground in Newcastle too.

"If anything I think they're the most passionate crowd I think I've seen here, except for Melbourne. I played in Europe for 10 years and they get real vocal.

"And that's a real pleasing aspect about coming here; it's a real European type atmosphere."