Wellington Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert insists the team is not getting carried away with the 6-0 drubbing they handed out to Gold Coast United on Sunday.

The Phoenix, who went from bottom to 7th with their big win, are always confident going into matches and Herbert says the result against United was something they believed they were capable of.

"Sure, you wouldn't have picked 6-0 against Gold Coast but we were always confident of getting the three points," he said.

"We've set a benchmark but I don't think it (the 6-0 win) surpassed any expectations in terms of what we set out to do every week. We've been playing very well and now we've shown what we're capable of doing."

This weekend, the Phoenix take on league leaders Sydney FC at the Sydney Football Stadium and Herbert sees it as another challenge for his team.

"Sydney bring another big challenge. They're at the top of the league and it's probably a good one for us to have given the position they're in," he added.

"We'll go across with confidence but we know our application has to be at the same level (as it was against Gold Coast).

"The guys have looked good at training this week, their feet are firmly on the ground and everyone in the squad has been working hard. The feeling is positive but we know that it was just one good win and that we need to continue on and keep the intensity high."