"I think Joel's pretty much their key player now," he said.

“Nicky Carle stole the limelight last year, but this year people are starting to realise what a hard worker Joel is and how reliable he is and how important he is for their team.

“He's got a lot of pressure on him. But he's been performing week in week out ... he's definitely one player we've got to be looking out for on Friday night.

“Whether it's going to be myself or someone else, I'm pretty sure he'll get dealt with quite effectively.”

Murdocca predicts the next two clashes for the Roar - both at Suncorp Stadium – will be season-defining for Frank Farina's side.

“If we win on Friday night we open up on them [the Jets] on the ladder," he said.

"I think Newcastle are a big threat. This week will be amazing and a win would boost us for a top four spot, make it a real possibility.

“And then next week it's guaranteed a first versus second clash with the Mariners. So yeah, it's a big two weeks for us.

"If we can win this week then Central Coast at home, obviously hoping they slip up this week [against Sydney], we're looking for first place.

“Then, all possibilities after that with qualifying for the Asian Champions League.”

The Roar will go into the first of these two big matches without skipper Craig Moore. He failed to complete Thursday morning’s training session and was subsequently ruled out.

But Murdocca still feels Roar's settled outlook over the last few weeks has bred confidence and stability.

“Frank's finally realised what sort of formation and players he likes," he added.

"As you saw last week in Sydney, he kept the same side despite having Danny Tiatto on the bench.

"Full credit to Frank, he's sticking to what he thinks is the best side.”

Also out for Roar on Friday is would-be Olyroo flyer Michael Zullo who is likely to be missing for several weeks with a thigh injury.

Zullo will have an MRI scan Friday to determine the extent of the injury before club medical staff plan his recovery program.