Pepper is one of four players that Stubbins named in his leadership group at the Jets a fortnight ago, alongside Taylor Regan who has worn the captain’s armband for the past two rounds, goalkeeper Ben Kennedy and defender Daniel Mullen.
Like Regan, Pepper was born and bred in Newcastle and came through the local ranks as a junior player.
He was a member of the club’s youth system before earning an A-League contract with the Jets, and has been a regular under Stubbins this season having featured in 14 of the side’s 17 competitive fixtures.
Stubbins described Pepper as a “great Novocastrian”, adding that he believes the combative midfielder will relish the opportunity to skipper his hometown club.
“He [Pepper] does everything he can in terms of representing the club in the right way,” Stubbins said. “He recently put his hand up as somebody who wanted to be part of a leadership group.
“[The captaincy] is a pat on the back for him and how he has shown real leadership over the course of time and certainly over a difficult period.
“Jacob comes in [as captain] with a very good rap not only as a human being but as a player as well and with the service he provides.”
With the Jets struggling for goals, Stubbins said he had challenged the likes of Pepper and fellow midfielders Zenon Caravella and Ben Kantarovski to provide more effective outcomes for the team in attack.
Though full of praise for the way the trio have helped the Jets become more difficult breakdown over recent weeks, Stubbins said that the trio adding more impetus in the front third would be key to the side’s fortunes as the regular season winds down.
“They’re combative, hard working midfield players,” Stubbins said of Pepper, Caravella and Kantarovski.
“They’re not really renowned for scoring goals, but we’ve got to throw the challenge to them that they need to provide a service to the team whereby they are affecting the outcomes for us."
Stubbins said right-back Scott Neville would come back into the team for the clash at Lower Hutt, and added that his side must do its utmost to thwart the supply provided to Wellington’s dangerous attacking trio of Nathan Burns, Michael McGlinchey and Roy Krishna.
The Jets have found success difficult to come by against the ‘Nix across the ditch, but Stubbins said his side are fired up to turn the tables on Ernie Merrick’s men.
“We’re going over there with a bunch of kids who are going to roll their sleeves up and have a crack against a team that is pretty accomplished at this point in time,” he said.
