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2026 All Whites International Fixtures

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Posted August 07, 2026 21:27 · last edited August 07, 2026 21:28

Southernix wrote:
Should aim really to call up the best squad, particularly for the starting eleven, but looking to give more young players a chance off the bench.

Currently I think we should be looking something like:

Starting XI: A Paulsen, L Cacace, F Surman, T Bindon, C Elliott, J Bell, M Stamenic, E Just, R Thomas, C McCowatt, C Wood

Bench: M Crocombe, M Woud, F de Vries, M Boxall, N Pijnaker, T Payne, A Rufer, J Randall, L Brooke-Smith, L Bayliss, O Parker-Price, C Piper

Injured: M Garbett, B Old

Fringe: H Gray, J McGarry, S Sutton, D Wilkins, G Stanger, I Hughes, M Sheridan, S Singh, L Rogerson, B Waine, R Bidois, M Mata, S Ukich, (Lee H)

Both Old & Garbett might be back in time, but I think probably too close for picking them to be the best idea. Gray could go over Woud, Singh possibly over OPP (Baze might even start him over Thomas) and the Chris Wood back-up has plenty of options, none which clearly stand out but all a lot younger than Barbarouses.
I'm not sure that Thomas is good enough to start any more. He was bang average in LA and Vancouver. I wasn't overly impressed with Singh either.

We should be looking towards the future. My prefered XI if fully fit:

                A Paulsen, 
F Surman, T Bindon, M Boxall, 
         J Bell, M Stamenic,
               M Garbett, 
          E Just, L Cacace
C McCowatt/B Waine, C Wood

Bench: M Crocombe, H Gray/O Sail, F de Vries, N Pijnaker, B Tuiloma, T Payne, C Elliott, A Rufer, J Randall, L Bayliss, R Thomas, L Brooke-Smith, O Parker-Price, C McCowatt/B Waine, B Old

We're still weak at RB and up front. 

Maybe long term Just is better off as a striker but he played very well just in behind Wood as an AM at the WC. McCowatt/Waine the luckiest in my starting XI. Given our weakness at RB I'm happier to have 3 CBS and push Libby up to the wing knowing he can drop back into defence if were getting pumped. Hopefully this season Old can improve even more and really push Libby for either LB or LW.

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Marto edited August 07, 2026 21:28
Southernix wrote:
Should aim really to call up the best squad, particularly for the starting eleven, but looking to give more young players a chance off the bench.

Currently I think we should be looking something like:

Starting XI: A Paulsen, L Cacace, F Surman, T Bindon, C Elliott, J Bell, M Stamenic, E Just, R Thomas, C McCowatt, C Wood

Bench: M Crocombe, M Woud, F de Vries, M Boxall, N Pijnaker, T Payne, A Rufer, J Randall, L Brooke-Smith, L Bayliss, O Parker-Price, C Piper

Injured: M Garbett, B Old

Fringe: H Gray, J McGarry, S Sutton, D Wilkins, G Stanger, I Hughes, M Sheridan, S Singh, L Rogerson, B Waine, R Bidois, M Mata, S Ukich, (Lee H)

Both Old & Garbett might be back in time, but I think probably too close for picking them to be the best idea. Gray could go over Woud, Singh possibly over OPP (Baze might even start him over Thomas) and the Chris Wood back-up has plenty of options, none which clearly stand out but all a lot younger than Barbarouses.
I'm not sure that Thomas is good enough to start any more. He was bang average in LA and Vancouver. I wasn't overly impressed with Singh either.

We should be looking towards the future. My prefered XI if fully fit:

                A Paulsen, 
F Surman, T Bindon, M Boxall, 
         J Bell, M Stamenic,
               M Garbett, 
          E Just, L Cacace
C McCowatt/B Waine, C Wood

Bench: M Crocombe, H Gray/O Sail, F de Vries, N Pijnaker, B Tuiloma, T Payne, C Elliott, A Rufer, J Randall, L Bayliss, L Brooke-Smith, O Parker-Price, C McCowatt/B Waine, B Old

We're still weak at RB and up front. 

Maybe long term Just is better off as a striker but he played very well just in behind Wood as an AM at the WC. McCowatt/Waine the luckiest in my starting XI. Given our weakness at RB I'm happier to have 3 CBS and push Libby up to the wing knowing he can drop back into defence if were getting pumped. Hopefully this season Old can improve even more and really push Libby for either LB or LW.