It was Stuart Thomas who rose to the event final spherical, tipping three matches accurately and he’s now slowly creeping into competition within the 2025/26 race for Roar tipping glory.
Frankly, he appears the one to beat, particularly contemplating the predictable fadeouts that Andrew Prentice and Texi Smith will undergo within the coming weeks. Spherical 14 sees the Jets with one other likelihood to assert semi-final credibility towards Wellington on Friday evening.
Auckland hosts the mariners on Saturday earlier than Brisbane Roar does the identical towards Adelaide United in what could possibly be a feisty affair. The prime time options Macarthur at dwelling to Melbourne Metropolis, while Sunday sees the ‘sack one more coach to take strain off the board’ Wanderers up towards a harmful Perth unit on the street.
Australia Day ends with a magnificence between the Victory and the Sky Blues. You should definitely enter your suggestions within the sheet under to have a say within the faltering voice of the folks. Right here is the best way the panel sees all of the motion unfolding over the subsequent 4 days.
Stuart Thomas
Newcastle, Auckland, Adelaide, Macarthur, Perth, Victory
Go the Jets I say and Mark Milligan is exhibiting simply what a intelligent fella he’s. Absolutely they’re too good for a Wellington aspect that beat a disappointing Sydney final day out? Auckland not often lose two in a row and received’t once they beat the Mariners in New Zealand.
Brisbane and Adelaide appears a magnificence, with the Reds buzzing after final week and sure winners. Macarthur will beat Melbourne Metropolis by three clear objectives on Saturday and Western Sydney is not going to get the bounce again from the coach sacking they’re in search of. Perth to win on the street.
The Massive Blue will erupt, Sydney will implode and the steadily constructing Victory start to maneuver into finals competition earlier than anybody had really realised.
Andrew Prentice
Newcastle, Auckland, Brisbane, Macarthur, Perth, Sydney
The Jets are third. In the event that they win, they’ll go prime (and relying on different outcomes, may keep there). The Phoenix are eighth. If they win, they may bounce as excessive as third (and keep there as the remainder of the spherical pans out). Yeah, go on, YOU work it out. I’m going for the Jets.
Auckland did a really un-Auckland factor and let a sport slip within the final 10 minutes. They’ll have been caned for that at coaching this week. The Mariners had been as gutsy as we all know them to be final week on the finish of a tumultous seven days.
We’re hoping the monetary state of affairs hasn’t meant Matty Simon has borrowed the Terrigal Surf Membership boat and is rowing the crew to New Zealand. It will be a superb bonding expertise. Auckland by the odd aim.
Former Mariner Matt Simon. (Photograph by Mark Evans/Getty Photographs)
Brisbane did the unthinkable final week and scored twice within the one sport. That’s solely the third time this season they’ve scored greater than as soon as in a sport and had been the primary objectives they’ve scored in 2026. They should be again!
Adelaide have been on a mini-run and that’s all any crew can handle this season which is why my infallible logic says they’ll lose right here. And possibly get kicked a bit too.
Macarthur huffed and puffed in Gosford final week with out gaining the win. Metropolis left it late towards Auckland. Neither crew places ahead a convincing case for favouritism. Aurelio Vidmar has caught Pep-swap from his illustrious CFG colleague in England and might’t appear to determine on a settled line-up.
Is Max Caputo a starter this week or not? (Severely, Aurelio let me know, it’s taking part in havoc with my fantasy crew). Macarthur to win in prime time and at dwelling.
We come to the useless cat bounce debate at Western Sydney, who parted methods with Alen Stajcic midweek. Does this imply they’re a shoo-in to win with new coach Garry Van Egmond on the helm? Neutrals will probably be craving for a Perth win so we will all watch “Cantona” Griffiths bamboozle on the post-match presser.
I really feel like that can occur and other people will realise that “Staj” wasn’t the true drawback on the Wanderers. 10 objectives in 13 video games is the true drawback.
Alen Stajcic. (Photograph by Mark Evans/Getty Photographs)
Hardly ever has a crew put in a extra moribund efficiency than Sydney final week. Merely terrible, particularly contemplating it was touted as the large return to Allianz Stadium, and greater than 13,000 turned out for the social gathering.
Victory had been denied a share of the factors by VAR towards Adelaide and now should roll into their different nice rivalry on the again of successive losses. Sydney have a stable Oz Day Massive Blue document and could also be welcoming Joe Lolley again to the collective aid of the Cove and coach Talay. Even the murmur of a Lolley return is perhaps sufficient to swing this one, the sport of the spherical.
Texi Smith
Newcastle, Auckland, Brisbane, Metropolis, Western Sydney, Victory
The in-form Newcastle Jets have an opportunity to flex their muscle tissues on dwelling soil after a splendid win in Western Sydney final weekend. Of their means is Wellington Phoenix, who gave Sydney FC a shock at Allianz Stadium; each of those groups are hitting type on the proper time and have closed the hole on the highest of the ladder.
The practical Phoenix will defend for his or her lives within the first half right here, and the grasp plan is working because the rating stays goalless at half time. A second of magic from Max Burgess is sufficient to change the sport on the hour, and when Clayton Taylor provides a second with ten to go, the sport is over as a contest and the Jets’ assault on the premiership beneficial properties additional momentum.
It is a tall order for the guests, however a wonderful alternative for the house crew to get again to profitable methods. Given the best way Mariners needed to experience a storm final weekend and Auckland had been solely pipped on the demise, regular service will resume at Mount Sensible right now, Logan Rogerson breaking his duck with two objectives earlier than half time, and Auckland operating away with it on the finish.
Each Brisbane Roar and Adelaide United are coming off the again of a much-needed win in tough video games, however Henry Hore and Justin Vidic have the Roar in a two-goal lead after solely fifteen minutes.
With out their talisman Jay O’Shea although, they go astray within the second half and Adelaide pull again to stage the scores, however a late solo effort from Chris Lengthy provides the house crew a well-deserved victory to maintain the dream alive.
Nice tine to play Melbourne Metropolis proper now, as they’re blowing cold and hot, and Macarthur FC will probably be trying to get again to profitable methods after a difficult run of video games. They had been a lot better in Gosford final weekend, and tonight their midfield maestros Antony Caceres and Luke Brattan will roll again the years in a classic show of precision passing and thrilling concepts.
Andrew Nabbout’s aim on the half hour is towards the run of play, Macarthur equalise via Mitch Duke not lengthy after half time as they flip the screw, and the sport is on a knife edge because the Bulls throw every part at their illustrious guests. It’s left to Ryan Teague to smash dwelling a very undeserved winner for Metropolis within the dying phases.l
Andrew Nabbout of Melbourne Metropolis. (Photograph by Albert Perez/Getty Photographs)
Two groups in a little bit of a multitude meet at CommBank Stadium on Sunday afternoon, the Wanderers followers staying away in a pitiful exhibiting from the house assist – it’s no shock given the low-quality fare being served up on the sector from this vastly gifted group of Western Sydney Wanderers gamers.
Perth Glory see their alternative to get again on monitor, and take the sport to the beleaguered dwelling crew, the scores stage on the break regardless of Perth having the lion’s share of possession.
Hiroshi Ibusuki’s introduction adjustments every part because the Wanderers go on the assault, they usually lastly get their reward when Kosta Barbarouses finds Brandon Borrello unmarked within the space to fireside dwelling for the one aim of the sport.
Sydney FC had been undone by their very own stupidity at dwelling to the Phoenix on Sunday, whereas Victory had been a whisker away from a well-known win in Adelaide.
This has dwelling win written throughout it, Clarismario Santos in devastating type for Victory, and with Juan Mata pulling the strings, as he ought to have accomplished at Wanderers, Sydney’s makes an attempt to stem the move as they did of their final go to to Melbourne are lastly damaged. Reno Piscopo slides dwelling on the far publish earlier than Keegan Jelacic finishes the job in a one-sided match.
| Spherical 14 | Stuart | Andrew | Texi | Crowd | |
| NEW v WEL | NEW | NEW | NEW | ? | |
| AUK v CCM | AUK | AUK | AUK | ? | |
| BRI v ADL | ADL | BRI | BRI | ? | |
| MAC v MCY | MAC | MAC | MCY | ? | |
| WSW v PER | PER | PER | WSW | ? | |
| MVC v SYD | MVC | SYD | MVC | ? | |
| Final week | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| Whole | 28 | 27 | 33 | 34 |








