It’s the style Jets manager Ernie Merrick likes his side to play, and it’s the style supporters love watching.

“It’s just my philosophy of football. It’s on the front foot, not on the back foot,” he said.

“I hate the idea of defending and counter-attacking, and I don’t think you ever win anything doing that.

“The fans love the excitement in the penalty box.

“Whether it’s scoring goals or nearly scoring goals.”

Last-start form bodes well for Newcastle fans but not so much for the Northern Inland squad.

The Jets powered past Football Mid North Coast 7-0 on Tuesday.

However, Merrick isn’t certain of a similar scoreline.

“I’m not sure if we can do that up here because I’ve heard these boys are pretty tough – that we’re playing against [Thursday] night,” he said.

Exciting talent Mario Shabow will miss the match due to a hamstring injury sustained on Tuesday, while also helping Northern Inland’s cause is Newcastle’s heavy schedule.

“We’ll train now [Wednesday], train tomorrow morning very hard and then play tomorrow night,” Merrick said.

“It’s pre-season so we’re not only working on technical and tactical stuff, we want to get them right physically.

“They’ll be playing pretty tired.

“That might give the [Northern Inland] boys a bit of help.

“It should be fun but it should be hard as well.”

These types of regional tours provide a huge benefit for all involved.

Fans get to watch top quality soccer played in their backyard while it also provides an opportunity for local players to shine and potentially progress their career.

“I’m looking forward to playing the local talent. I’m sure they’ll be very competitive but I’ll also be keeping an eye on who might be ones to make the grade,” Merrick said.

Gates open at 5.30pm for a 7pm kick-off. Entry is $2 and a canteen will be available. No alcohol is allowed. Four junior girls teams will play at half-time.