Rd 15 previews: can Glory halt the Roar and will the Wanderers bounce back? Tara Rushton and Mark Rudan take a look ahead to Newcastle's clash with Melbourne Heart. Can Perth Glory halt league-leaders Brisbane Roar? WITH a four-point lead and a game in hand on its closest rivals, league leader Brisbane Roar has the chance to stamp its authority on the premiership race this weekend. But Mike Mulvey's side face a tough test against regenerated Perth Glory on the west coast. It's a big weekend of A-League action and everyone will be watching to see if Perth can bring the Brisbane back into the pack, or if the Roar has the championship-winning class to bounce back from a shock loss. Melbourne Heart v Newcastle Jets 7.30pm, Friday, 17 January, Fox Sports 1 It's one of the big questions of this weekend: will Melbourne Heart set a new record for the longest winless streak in A-League history? Want some depressing stats? The Heart is still seeking its first home win of the season and has now gone eight home games without a win. The club has conceded the most shots this season (25), lost four of its six home matches, has conceded a league-high 12 goals at home, and has not kept a clean sheet at home in their past nine matches. In Heart's favour, however, the Jets are hardly setting the league alight - they haven't scored since the shock Rd 11 win against Brisbane Roar. That's 273 minutes without a goal. Plus, they have failed to score in four it their seven away games. It doesn't paint the picture of a goal-fest at AAMI Park on Friday night - but football always has a way of throwing these things back in your face. Mark Rudan says: "I hope Heart's luck changes and they finally break the duck. They were very slow in their build-up against Perth last week and they've still got a lot of issues. The Jets have been boosted by Joel Griffiths's return; he's a renowned goalscorer but I'm hearing he won't be back for the next couple of weeks. Perth Glory v Brisbane Roar 6:45pm (9:45pm AEDT), Friday, 17 January, Fox Sports 1 After the dressing room bust-up that tore the club apart, Perth Glory is finally happy again - and is playing like it. Since the heartbreaking loss on New Year's Eve, Perth has gone on to win its past two games without conceding a goal. This looks like it will also be an interesting battle between defence and attack. Glory has kept six clean sheets this season - four at home - and is the only team yet to concede in 2014. Brisbane, on the other hand, is the league's top scorer and has the best shooting accuracy in the competition, hitting the target with 43.2% of its shots. And despite being stunned by both Newcastle and Adelaide at home, the Roar has won its past four away matches. Mark Rudan says: "Can the Glory maintain this good form? Why not, when you see players like Shane Smeltz coming back into form, and coach Kenny Lowe has bought a smile to the team? They're playing with a lot of energy right now. After that shock loss to Adelaide, Brisbane have to get back to the way they know how to play, moving the ball around quickly and making other teams chase them. Wellington Phoenix v Melbourne Victory 7:30pm (5:30pm AEDT), Saturday, 18 January, Fox Sports 1 Ernie Merrick faces his old team as it comes of the high of that huge midweek win over Western Sydney - but might fancy his chances against an undermanned and over-tired Melbourne Victory. You'd put your money on the home team but the numbers suggest it might not that simple. After a poor start, Wellington has three wins and a draw from its last four games. But, surprisingly, Westpac Stadium has not been the fortress of old. Phoenix has only won one in eight at home, scoring only five times. Kevin Muscat knows just how tough this trip will be for his team, and that his old mentor will be ready to take advantage. Victory is undefeated in its last three away games and has continually conceded possession and territory to its opponents. Mark Rudan says: "I hope Phoenix's form continues. They're at home and they need to take advantage of that. The only issue I've got for Melbourne is that they don't have time to rest and they're travelling to Wellington, after those hot conditions against the Wanderers, which could have taken something out of them. Mark Rudan and Tara Rushton preview Sydney's clash with the Mariners at Allianz Stadium. Sydney FC v Central Coast Mariners 7.45pm, Saturday, 18 January, Fox Sports 1 After that short spurt of good results, Sydney FC has dipped back to its early season shonkyness. Just one win in six, the Sky Blues have conceded the second most goals this season (21), on average the second most shots (14.4) and balls into the box (26.7) per game. But Frank Farina's side have won 11 of their past 14 at Allianz Stadium and this week they face a Central Coast side struggling to regain that old confidence. The Mariners are the only team in the top six with a negative goal differential, scoring just 13 goals this season - only one in their last three away games, conceding seven - and haven't won on the road in three games. It doesn't sound pretty but on the plus side - for neutrals, at least - There have been plenty of goals at Allianz Stadium this season with 24 goals scored in the seven matches there (3.4 per game). Mark Rudan says: "Sydney FC still need to sort out their midfield. But defensively their structure against the Wanderers was very good and the likes of Gameiro and Chianese could be the difference. For the Mariners, their mentality has to be right; they are the defending champions, it's never easy. They were unlucky with that missed penalty last week, it's a tough encounter this one, I'm predicting a low-scoring affair. Tara Rushton and Mark Rudan take a look at Brisbane's trip to Adelaide. Adelaide United v Western Sydney Wanderers 4:30pm (5:00pm AEDT), Sunday, 19 January, Fox Sports 1 What a turnaround from the start of the season. The Reds are not undefeated in five, keeping three clean sheets - but Josep Gombau's passing style has slipped: Adelaide has slipped to fourth in the league in passes completed and passing accuracy. The question is, will Adelaide face a Wanderers side worn down from its exertions or looking to hit back after that loss to Victory? The stats are against Tony Popovic's team: the Wanderers have won just one of their past four matches and three of their past nine. The Wanderers are still scoring - but they are yet to score more than two in a game this season. Mark Rudan says: "What a massive win against the Roar for Adelaide, and those sort of things to breed a lot of confidence. They are the form team right now and back at home in front of their fans. There has been a lot of talk about Shinji Ono and Aaron Mooy leaving Western Sydney but that shouldn't affect them, they are a professional side - but I think their form means the home team might win this one.