A-League blog: Marco Monteverde says the Roar can contend for the title if they win away games

BRISBANE Roar must rectify their ordinary away form from last season if they are to take the step from contenders to champions.

BRISBANE Roar must rectify their ordinary away form from last season if they are to take the step from contenders to champions.

THE LIVE BLOG IS NOW OVER. MARCO WILL BE DOING IT ALL AGAIN NEXT THURSDAY AT MIDDAY (QLD TIME)

And they have an ideal chance to find confidence on the road in their next two games: Sunday’s clash with the Jets in Newcastle and the following week’s battle with the Mariners in Gosford.

 Both teams struggled last season — particularly the Mariners — and despite both securing honourable draws in the first week of the new campaign, they are again expected to finish among the also-rans.

The Roar can get almost half their entire away points tally from last season — a mere 13 from 13 games — by beating the Jets and the Mariners in the next two weeks.

In contrast, Brisbane’s home record — 35 points from 14 matches — was the best in the competition.

There seems little doubt Brisbane will again be strong at home in season 2016-17.

But it’s away where John Aloisi’s men must improve in both attack and defence.

The Roar are confident heading to Newcastle on Sunday, and with good reason.

They are unbeaten in their past six matches against the Jets and have a good record at Hunter Stadium.

Marco Monteverde, Sam Phillips and Ross Aloisi talk all things football on our new podcast, The A-List

However, a 1-1 draw at the venue last season in a match they dominated for long periods was one of the results that came back to haunt them as they fell just a point shy of Premier’s Plate winners Adelaide United.

The Roar are good enough to overcome this weekend’s absence of suspended skipper Matt McKay — who would be disappointed with the manner of his send off against Melbourne Victory.

It’s a big game for McKay’s expected replacement Jacob Pepper, a former Jet who has an early chance to show his worth in Brisbane colours

The next fortnight is also a great opportunity for striker Jamie Maclaren to push his claims for a recall to the Socceroos squad for next month’s World Cup qualifier against Thailand in Bangkok.

Having failed to score against the Victory, Maclaren will be desperate to open his 2016-17 account on Sunday.

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IT’S great news that the Roar are wearing their all maroon strip against Sydney FC at Suncorp Stadium on November 19.

What better match than a “State of Origin” contest to don the kit for the first time.

One of the biggest mistakes the Roar made when they formed was opting for orange instead of maroon.

It cost them thousands of fans who didn’t like the Roar’s founding club, the polarising Richlands-based Lions.

While it’s now probably too late to totally abandon the orange, the more the Roar can wear maroon, the better.

The Roar will be without captain Matthew McKay for the clash against the Jets after he was sent off against Melbourne Victory last week. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Originally published as A-League blog: Marco Monteverde says the Roar can contend for the title if they win away games