Grin and bare it: Labinot Haliti after scoring the only goal in a game against the Mariners. The Western Sydney player has become a central figure for the team. Photo: Getty Images
Labinot Haliti never wanted to leave the Newcastle Jets. The Kosovo-born refugee was part of the fabric. He spent four years over two stints and played 69 games for them, each appearance played with the fervour of a man appreciating a second chance at life. He had an affinity with the Hunter faithful matched by only a few.
Then the 27-year-old joined Western Sydney. ''That is the beauty of this game,'' Haliti said. ''Newcastle was a good place. I still have mates there and a close connection to the city. But this is something else. The people of western Sydney needed a club. You can see the passion. It has only been eight or nine months and the people are all wearing the jerseys, and all come [to the games].''
Haliti is one of six former Jets to have red and black now coursing through their veins. He, Nikolai Topor-Stanley and former club captain Tarek Elrich were surplus to requirements as coach Gary van Egmond went about rebuilding his roster at the end of last season.
They were joined at Parramatta by 2007-08 championship winners Mark Bridge, Ante Covic and Adam D'Apuzzo. All are expected to feature when Wanderers travel up the freeway on Good Friday, determined to put an exclamation mark on a fairytale maiden season.
A point is all the visitors need to take the Premiers Plate back to Parramatta Stadium, or Wanderland as it has become known. The Jets need three points to keep alive their play-off hopes.
''It is a big game, there is no hiding from that,'' Haliti said. ''It is an important game for Newcastle as well. We will just prepare like a normal week. That is what we have been doing all year.''
After an eight-week spell watching from the stands, Haliti has become a central figure for the Wanderers. His seven appearances in the starting side have reaped five goals, highlighted by a brace in the 3-1 win over Melbourne Heart in round 25 that set a new record for consecutive wins. ''All the goals have been big goals,'' Haliti said. ''They are not goals that have come when it is 4-0 or 5-0. They have been goals in tight games, away games. You put in the hard yards, do all the right things and hopefully they pay off. I always said goals will come.''
It was a similar scenario at the Jets, where many of Haliti's goals came in the big moments - late equalisers or winners. ''When you get the chance in a big game, on a big stage, you have to be ready to take it,'' he said.
Haliti, who is in talks about a new contract, was relegated to the bench for the 1-1 draw in the derby against Sydney FC. He hopes to be reinstated to the starting side but is not overly concerned.
''It is a squad game. As long as I can contribute I am happy,'' he said. ''It is good to start, but I don't mind coming off the bench. Whatever is best for the team.''
Though disappointed to leave Newcastle, Haliti was confident from the moment he arrived at Wanderers that they would be successful. ''A lot of people wrote us off,'' he said. ''We knew inside the squad that we were capable. How far could we go? That is a different question. We knew we had quality in the side, we knew we had experience, and if we worked hard things could and would turn for the better. That has happened.''
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