“Today’s training session was far more jovial and the mood was good. Now we need to transfer that good form into points for the club,” said Van Egmond.

“Yesterday we trained much harder.”

Newcastle sits in fourth on 25 points while Adelaide is one rung down on the ladder on 23. The pressure to win this game will be immense. Luckily, star man Joel Griffiths is back for Van Egmond's side.

Griffiths – one of ten Jets players named in the Socceroos and Olyroos training camp next week in Sydney - said missing last week's match through suspension brought home the importance of representing the club.

“I watched the match from the stands for the first time and I really saw the amount that goes in to the game and the amount of support given to the players.

"It was amazing to see the number of kids with Jets shirts on with your name on the back. That’s great.”

Van Egmond was hopeful that injured Brazilian playmaker Denni would be back for the crunch F3 derby in Gosford next week, but he is out of tonight's game with a hamstring injury.

The lighthearted feel of the day continued in the press conference with star man Griffiths jokingly castigating coach Gary Van Egmond for not answering a journalist's question properly.

It prompted Van Egmond to retort, “You want to be a journalist now?” To which Griffiths replied, “I'd be a pretty good journalist”.

As for Mario Jardel, the club still isn't laughing.

Jets CEO John Tsatsimas insisted the Brazilian– on a reputed $10,000 per week paid by club boss Con Constantine - was welcome at the club in the future and would see out the next two games of his contract.

Jardel wasn't named in tonight's squad.

* Jets' James Holland and Tarek Elrich are late additions to the Olyroos training squad next week.