Predictions Wishes and Wants for season 2020/21

Marquee
3.7K
·
5.8K
·
almost 17 years

A return to the ROF

Home finals games

Keep most of the squad assembled this season

Talay to sign on for another 5 years

Even more game time for some of our talented youngsters

Watching Sarpreet and Libby wow them in Europe

More of that attractive football only with more goals scored and less soft goals given away

Starting XI
2.9K
·
2.5K
·
over 5 years

So many question marks over next season around covid and trans tasman travel. It looks more than likely that the season will start with the Nix having to be located in Aus again. If this is the case can we really ask and expect guys like Davilla and Ball to leave there families behind and head to Aus again, this time for a potentially longer period.

Or are we better off building a team of young hungry NZ and Aus players that will happily do what ever it takes to be part of the team. 

Must be so hard for the club to know what is going to be best. Especially considering the salary cap will also be slashed.

Wish-for is hard

Decisive decision making from FFA so the Nix can make solid plans for next season

A return to NZ based for the NIx

Build on the solid squad core that we currently have.

Score more than 38 goals and concede less than 33.

First Team Squad
980
·
1.4K
·
almost 10 years

Win a round in the FFA Cup.

Go one better in the Finals.

Keep most of our players.

Bring in some more goal poachers.

RR
·
Bossi Insider
9.2K
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33K
·
over 15 years

Win a round in the FFA Cup.

No FFA Cup next season.
Marquee
3.7K
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5.4K
·
over 11 years

We need a new LB clearly... and a genuine poacher, someone who can finish if Hoops doesn't come back.

If Steinmann leaves (which he might) I'd be happy with a Devlin/Rufer pairing and Lewis coming in as a replacement.

Starting XI
550
·
2.4K
·
over 14 years

Not be kicked out of the league because as usual we haven't meet metrics for a license extension.

Remove deadwood in the squad and replace them with more kids.

Play a home final in Wellington for once.

Get a real striker that isn't overweight or injury prone.

  

First Team Squad
1.5K
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1.8K
·
about 13 years

Assuming Hooper and Steinmann don't renew, I'd like to see a striker and LB come in for the two visa spots. Hoping Davila's family situation works out in our favor - he's an absolute gem.

Will be interesting to see if off-contract Aussies like DeVere stick around too...

First Team Squad
270
·
1.9K
·
almost 17 years

Firstly, Ufuk to sign a 5 year extension. 

Assuming Hooper doesn't return, a 15+ goals a season striker who will play in 90% of the games. I'd be delighted if Ben Waine could be that player but we do need someone else as well.

Assuming Steinmann doesn't return, Devlin and Rufer to be given plenty of pre-season together to cement their pairing.

Walter Scott will probably be the only player released, so not a lot of room for addition. Cover for right back probably won't be needed, but could Payne or Callan Elliot be the full back pairing, one left, one right?

Maybe Oli Sail has blotted his copybook just a bit too much, if he goes, another bright young kiwi prospect, Cameron Brown from Ak City maybe.

Libby to become the player in Europe we all know he can be.

And a new kit that's as brilliant as this year's. 

Starting XI
3K
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3K
·
almost 7 years

imagine picking up Brad Smith! can imagine half the A-League will be pining for him. can focus on an import in central midfield then - probably Steinmann which I'd be stoked with, maybe someone else

Marquee
4.5K
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6.6K
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over 11 years

Less money in the kitty next season means more difficulty picking up genuine class imports. Not even sure we'll be able to keep the likes of Davilla, Steinmann, etc, even if we wanted to. 

I feel like the big priority now is to ride out this covid mess, keep the club afloat financially and stick with the development of young Kiwi and Aussie talent, which has really paid dividends in recent times. All of which might mean next season is a lot less exciting than the last two we've enjoyed but if that's the price to pay for cementing the future of the Nix then it's fine by me.

Legend
6.8K
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14K
·
over 16 years

I want to be able to watch and enjoy a season of football, and for the players and coaches to as well 

RR
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Bossi Insider
9.2K
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33K
·
over 15 years

EXPIRES END OF 2019/20:

Luke DEVERE
Callan ELLIOT [u21]
Gary HOOPER [V]
Te Atawhai HUDSON-WIHONGI
Liam MCGING [u21]
Callum MCCOWATT [u21]
Walter SCOTT [u21]
Matti STEINMANN [V]

Re-sign DeVere, Elliot, TAHW, McCowatt & Steinmann

Sign Sutton & Jones to Scholarship deals

If its not too expensive, re-sign Hooper

Give JHS, McGarry & Lewis a good look

Chant Savant
2.5K
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12K
·
almost 17 years
LG
Legend
5.5K
·
23K
·
over 16 years

With so many teams in Europe and the UK shedding their squads to keep their expenses down, players are going to have to accept smaller wages than they might have demanded preCovid. Saying that, If Hooper doesn't sign on again, there's plenty of players around 27+ aged group that we could go after. Connor Washington would be A League level and some and affordable for example.

My wish list is that we all survive this Covid crap. The Nix to survive and  having a good base, just filling in the gaps. Libby to sign for QPR would be a bonus for me anyway.

First Team Squad
980
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1.4K
·
almost 10 years

RR wrote:

Win a round in the FFA Cup.

No FFA Cup next season.

Well I've already been disappointed - I'm not renewing my membership.

/s

WeeNix
340
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550
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over 11 years

Surely if FFA/A-league heads are serious about moving the A-league to align with the winter season, then surely this is the ideal situation to do it.

Interstate travel in Australia is a long way off with states probably not opening their borders to VIC until December. NZ will play it safe and it will be 1-2 months after that, that we can travel freely to aus. All going well.

Fits perfectly for a Feb start, with time to sort crowds, sponsorship and contracts in between. Better than doing it incrementally over the next few seasons. 

RR
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Bossi Insider
9.2K
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33K
·
over 15 years

pierre wrote:

Surely if FFA/A-league heads are serious about moving the A-league to align with the winter season, then surely this is the ideal situation to do it.

Interstate travel in Australia is a long way off with states probably not opening their borders to VIC until December. NZ will play it safe and it will be 1-2 months after that, that we can travel freely to aus. All going well.

Fits perfectly for a Feb start, with time to sort crowds, sponsorship and contracts in between. Better than doing it incrementally over the next few seasons. 

Sage has been pushing the idea of a February start so there is a higher chance for crowds to be allowed in, clubs need that cash.
Marquee
3.7K
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5.8K
·
almost 17 years

Dont see February and a winter season doing anything for crowd numbers if thats what it has to be.Also wouldnt think another 6 month break would do anything for attracting players. Thought a December start is what had been talked about although its all pretty moot until broadcasting is sorted and a league sponsor is found.

Legend
11K
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21K
·
almost 9 years

The Fox Sports reduced rights deal for new season, is all confirmed is it not?

It would be foolhardy to make any assumptions now, that crowds will definitely be a thing come Feb next year. Who knows how the Covid beast will unfold.

I would have thought in many ways it makes more sense to get TV product out there again as soon as possible, so having income coming in to pay the players. Even if those games have to be in a sterile closed door hub again.

Marquee
200
·
7.6K
·
almost 17 years

Will happen sometime during season 2020-21 I assume...my wish: Oceania to draw Asia for inter-continental WCQ 2022.

Phoenix Academy
280
·
350
·
over 8 years

A travel protocol that will probably mean for Intrastate (editted) Interstate and games involving Phoenix (and Rugby, League, Basketball may need something similar)...

frequent testing

charter flight - day before or day of game

charter bus for travel airport/hotel/stadium

dedicated accomodation

charter flight - after or day after game

If thats not possible then may have to relocate to Gold Coast or Canberra for a year or two.

RR
·
Bossi Insider
9.2K
·
33K
·
over 15 years

reubee wrote:

A travel protocol that will probably mean for Intrastate and games involving Phoenix (and Rugby, League, Basketball may need something similar)...

frequent testing

charter flight - day before or day of game

charter bus for travel airport/hotel/stadium

dedicated accomodation

charter flight - after or day after game

If thats not possible then may have to relocate to Gold Coast or Canberra for a year or two.

Warriors are looking at Redcliffe as a back up venue for next season, so I wouldn't be surprised if we have to make similar back up plans. I would guess that we would be looking at Wollongong as it has a good stadium, history in the NSL and is likely to be the base for the W-League team if/when it happens.
Phoenix Academy
250
·
160
·
over 6 years

What's the point of participating in the A-League if we have to spend the whole season in a bubble in Radcliffe or Whoop Whoop NSW? 

We should push for a Wellington hub - similar to what the AFL are doing. A period of time say 6-8 weeks were a number of teams are based in Wellington and play each other, similar to a WC pool format.

We've done the hard yards and are mostly COVID-19 free. The RoF is always rated as the best surface in the A-League.

You can have a live crowd.

It's a no brainer for me...

Woof Woof
2.7K
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19K
·
over 16 years

OzNix wrote:

What's the point of participating in the A-League if we have to spend the whole season in a bubble in Radcliffe or Whoop Whoop NSW? 

We should push for a Wellington hub - similar to what the AFL are doing. A period of time say 6-8 weeks were a number of teams are based in Wellington and play each other, similar to a WC pool format.

We've done the hard yards and are mostly COVID-19 free. The RoF is always rated as the best surface in the A-League.

You can have a live crowd.

It's a no brainer for me...

You can't have a crowd at the moment. Plus it involves international travel, so under the current rules at the very least there would have to be a two-week break between NZ and Aussie hubs (and that's assuming the NZ hub is first cab off the rank). Also, the capacity for NZ to quarantine 11 football teams with facilities where they can also train is questionable.

Legend
11K
·
21K
·
almost 9 years

Starting the season with say 3 hubs each of 4 teams, spread over NZ, Perth and Adelaide/Darwin/TAS - wouldn't be the craziest idea.

So that's 6 home games (play each team twice) to start the season for the Nix, plus the other 3 teams all playing each other twice in NZ. Nix to take at least 1 game to Auckland, to break up the saturation of 6 consecutive home matches.  

Then after 6 weeks, the 4 teams travel to NSW for a centralised hub, quarantine/self isolate and join the other 8 teams and complete the season. Hopefully travel exemptions can be gained for player's families to join them. 

May have it wrong, but seems SA, WA, NT & TAS have had months now of no community transmission. I think WA especially has taken a very hard line with it's state border, and it's worked. Again may have that wrong.

The AFL yes seems to be running it's comp now between those states & territories. Plus QLD - but there is now a new outbreak in SE QLD. I'm sure FFA/NLWG is watching the AFL comp closely

NZ too early to say what's gonna happen with the virus. Plus will the govt have an appetite for say 3 Australian A League teams coming to NZ? What happens with the Rugby Championship - with planned teams from Argentina & South Africa playing in NZ, countries with much worse Covid stats than NZ/Aus - will be telling

Phoenix Academy
620
·
420
·
almost 9 years

reubee wrote:

A travel protocol that will probably mean for Intrastate and games involving Phoenix (and Rugby, League, Basketball may need something similar)...

frequent testing

charter flight - day before or day of game

charter bus for travel airport/hotel/stadium

dedicated accommodation

charter flight - after or day after game

If thats not possible then may have to relocate to Gold Coast or Canberra for a year or two.

Intra-state travel is not an issue.

Phoenix Academy
250
·
160
·
over 6 years

We're not talking now. The season is over. We're talking December or January. By then we're likely to be back to Level 1 (I hope).

Of course it involves international travel. Even inter-state travel to Western Australia or other Australian states involves a 14 day quarantine period, so who cares if it's in Australia or NZ. Plus once you have done the two weeks then it's 8 weeks of living more normally. Australian teams can even bring their WAGs and kids.

Quarantine facilities can handle 7000 returnees a week. I am sure 7 squads of 20 (max 140-200) people is the equivalent of one medium sized interantional flight.

Marquee
3.7K
·
5.8K
·
almost 17 years

Cant see a hub in NZ unless both countries remove quarantine and cant see that happening any time soon. With it not removed that means 4 weeks in quarantine  taken out of the season cant see that working. As has been mentioned before all academic till a league sponsor is found and cant see many rushing to throw their money at that.

Sadly dont see a NZ hub working at all would think more likely scenario is Phoenix to base themselves in OZ at the start at least. With the cap likely to be decreasing may be time to focus on blooding more of our youth for the future than try to squeeze guys into the cap.

Whatever happens think next year is going to another one like this year with decisions being made on the fly.

Marquee
3.7K
·
5.8K
·
almost 17 years

OzNix wrote:

Quarantine facilities can handle 7000 returnees a week. I am sure 7 squads of 20 (max 140-200) people is the equivalent of one medium sized interantional flight.

With returning Kiwis still struggling to get back dont think there would be much support for giving some sporting teams and their families quarantine spaces ahead of them.
Legend
11K
·
21K
·
almost 9 years

ballane wrote:

Cant see a hub in NZ unless both countries remove quarantine and cant see that happening any time soon. With it not removed that means 4 weeks in quarantine  taken out of the season cant see that working. As has been mentioned before all academic till a league sponsor is found and cant see many rushing to throw their money at that.

Sadly dont see a NZ hub working at all would think more likely scenario is Phoenix to base themselves in OZ at the start at least. With the cap likely to be decreasing may be time to focus on blooding more of our youth for the future than try to squeeze guys into the cap.

Whatever happens think next year is going to another one like this year with decisions being made on the fly.

2 weeks out of the season when the teams move to Aus.

First 2 weeks quarantine in NZ being pre season.

But yeah there is going to be a lot of print to what may happen, when really it’s a complete guessing game with sooooo many moving parts.

Phoenix Academy
280
·
350
·
over 8 years

harrymc55 wrote:

reubee wrote:

A travel protocol that will probably mean for Intrastate and games involving Phoenix (and Rugby, League, Basketball may need something similar)...

frequent testing

charter flight - day before or day of game

charter bus for travel airport/hotel/stadium

dedicated accommodation

charter flight - after or day after game

If thats not possible then may have to relocate to Gold Coast or Canberra for a year or two.

Intra-state travel is not an issue.

thank you, have edited my post to correct.

Woof Woof
2.7K
·
19K
·
over 16 years

OzNix wrote:

We're not talking now. The season is over. We're talking December or January. By then we're likely to be back to Level 1 (I hope).

Of course it involves international travel. Even inter-state travel to Western Australia or other Australian states involves a 14 day quarantine period, so who cares if it's in Australia or NZ. Plus once you have done the two weeks then it's 8 weeks of living more normally. Australian teams can even bring their WAGs and kids.

Quarantine facilities can handle 7000 returnees a week. I am sure 7 squads of 20 (max 140-200) people is the equivalent of one medium sized interantional flight.

No-one has any idea what December is going to look like, here or in Aussie. The situation changes so fluidly - all you have to do is look back at how things were in January/February, and then in March/April, and then June/July, and then now, to see that trying to predict how exactly it's going to be in December is a fool's exercise.

There are basically two realistic options:

1. Start season in December in a centralised, most likely NSW, hub for all teams and re-evaluate if circumstances allow

2. Delay the start of the season until February or later, and hope that by then the situation will have normalised (and have a centralised hub option as a back-up plan).

Planning for anything else is unrealistic, because quite frankly no-one knows what's going to happen and when.

NZ quarantine facilities can't accommodate 7,000 returnees a week. NZ quarantine facilities have maximum capacity of 7,000 at a time, and that's unlikely to increase as no additional suitable facilities have been found. And that is not to mention that those facilities are designed for returnees to the country who largely stay in their rooms and spend a short amount of time outside within the hotel premises to get exercise. Such facilities are not suitable for professional sports teams who need to train during their quarantine time.

One in a million
4K
·
9.5K
·
almost 17 years

My wish is for Uffie to keep building on our style of play and for we fans to be able to go enjoy watch them play. Good luck to Domey and the owners sorting stuff out for next season when it s all so up in the air. Very difficult.

Legend
11K
·
21K
·
almost 9 years

Some interesting articles on how the AFL are doing it. 

Not saying FFA/NLWG would or should do the same, but don't think a single hub only (at least to to start the season) will be the only idea on the table.

Bearing in mind the AFL has a shark load more cash. Read somewhere they evened managed to raise a $500M loan this year, secured against Marvel Stadium (Docklands in Melbourne) as they own it.

https://www.whyallanewsonline.com.au/story/6875586/covid-19-makes-the-impossible-possible-in-season-2020/?cs=1676

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-10/afl-season-a-chance-for-victorians-to-enjoy-its-national-status/12439878

Below is best article, as it talks about WA, SA & QLD all bidding to host this years' AFL grand final. Break down of current crowd sizes allowed in each state, plus each's states quarantine requirements.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/the-case-for-and-against-each-state-s-bid-for-the-afl-grand-final-20200824-p55oqj.html

Marquee
3.7K
·
5.8K
·
almost 17 years

Things arnt all rosy in the AFL world and sure wouldnt be holding them up as any sort of example. Just in the past week they have had massive staff layoffs from the AFL. They suspended one of their 2nd tier competitions without even informing some of the clubs. Have had bad publicity over the game at the Gabba and lack of social distancing. Then there is all the shark they have had trying to manage people in their bubbles.

Think the A league has done okay so far with the way they have done it since the resumption. Nothing is going to suit everyone or be the perfect answer but something along the lines of what they have done here could be the way to at least start the season.

Starting XI
550
·
2.4K
·
over 14 years

ballane wrote:

Things arnt all rosy in the AFL world and sure wouldnt be holding them up as any sort of example. Just in the past week they have had massive staff layoffs from the AFL. They suspended one of their 2nd tier competitions without even informing some of the clubs. Have had bad publicity over the game at the Gabba and lack of social distancing. Then there is all the shark they have had trying to manage people in their bubbles.

Think the A league has done okay so far with the way they have done it since the resumption. Nothing is going to suit everyone or be the perfect answer but something along the lines of what they have done here could be the way to at least start the season.

please the AFL is on a billion dollar TV deal so a few layoffs wont kill them, They are fine and dandy with all the money they have unlike the HAL. So get your facts correct.
RR
·
Bossi Insider
9.2K
·
33K
·
over 15 years
Marquee
3.7K
·
5.8K
·
almost 17 years

Royz wrote:

ballane wrote:

Things arnt all rosy in the AFL world and sure wouldnt be holding them up as any sort of example. Just in the past week they have had massive staff layoffs from the AFL. They suspended one of their 2nd tier competitions without even informing some of the clubs. Have had bad publicity over the game at the Gabba and lack of social distancing. Then there is all the shark they have had trying to manage people in their bubbles.

Think the A league has done okay so far with the way they have done it since the resumption. Nothing is going to suit everyone or be the perfect answer but something along the lines of what they have done here could be the way to at least start the season.

please the AFL is on a billion dollar TV deal so a few layoffs wont kill them, They are fine and dandy with all the money they have unlike the HAL. So get your facts correct.

Suggest you check a few things before you tell me to get my facts right

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