“Complacency is always in the back of your mind and I suppose it's a mathematical chance one of the teams below could catch us,” the Jets defender told au.fourfourtwo.com.

“All we need really is three points from the next two games and we should be pretty much safe.”

Adelaide United – who lost 2-1 to the Jets on the weekend – and Melbourne Victory will hope Newcastle lose both their final games and they win both theirs to have any chance of making the finals.

Victory and the Reds are both sitting on 23 points with Newcastle on 28.

If the Roar and Sydney draw and the Jets beat the Mariners, it'll make for an intriguing final round with all four sides then on 31 points.

It all makes for a fascinating derby at Bluetongue on Saturday night – where locals are expecting another huge crowd after attendances of over 17,000 and 18,000 across the festive season in Gosford.

“We've got the F3 derby this week and I think the boys will be up for that. I think we'll get the three points there,” added Durante.

“I definitely think this will be the biggest F3 derby in history. There's so much on the line for both teams. I mean we could even get a chance of a top two place if results go our way this week. We're looking at a top two spot.

“So I think it'll be the biggest yet of all the F3 derbies.”

Durante, 25, who has just been called up to the national train on squad ahead of Australia's first World Cup qualifiers, adds that the Jets of 2008 are a slightly different proposition to last year at this time.

“Last year we were probably a bit better equipped going forward what with Milton [Rodriguez], Vaughny [Coveny] and Nicky Carle, who scored a lot of goals for us.

“This year we're relying way too much on Joel for our goals. I think this season we're grinding out results more, so it's a bit different to last season.

“I think we've got the attitude and the team to grind out a result in the finals - if we make it.”