ISPS Handa Women's Premiership

Here's my review of the 2017 NWL "season" 

Nice review of what was a competitive league. What changes will there be to teams next year as some of the young ones leave to head off to other cities for University or other playing oppourtunities?

no idea at the moment, the one thing that has started happening, especially since Gareth Turnbull got involved in the national team setup, is that women from outside Auckland are getting selected and there's not the requirement to move to Auckland like there used to be. The  FFDP program has been flexible as well allowing for players to be based outside Auckland. This I think is good for the women's game in general as it strenghtens it throughout the country

Two rounds next season which is great - September to December by the sounds of things which will also cut across the Under 17 World Cup, so means a few players will be 'missing'.

Canterbury United Pride will be much weaker next season after two of their three Football Ferns recently signed with European clubs:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/nz-teams/10...

Striker Aimee Phillips, aged 26, has signed for Serbian league leaders Spartak Subotica:

The Niche Cache‏ @thenichecache

The team Aimee Phillips just signed for in Serbia (Spartak Subotica) have won all 11 league games this season, scoring 72 goals and conceding 0. At one point in October they had three consecutive wins of at least 10-0. Should be fun. #FlyingKiwis

6:14 PM - 22 Jan 2018

Defender Meikayla Moore (21) has signed with FC Koln in the Frauen Bundesliga to join up with Ferns striker Amber Hearn.

Koln certainly need Moore's defensive skills, having shipped 21 goals in their last three league games to lie perilously close to the relegation spots in the 12 team league:

https://us.women.soccerway.com/teams/germany/1fc-k...

Veteran Fern Hearn has scored two of Koln's four league goals in 11 games so far this season.

Apparently NZF have signed Kate Shepard ;)

Alana Gunn (Gunnie) announced as Canterbury United's new coach

Great news. Great human.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/domestic/10...

Southern Coach dumped after asking for Pay Parity for women's side

And they won the league with him in charge, bloody hell he must be doing something right. NZF can't even fire Andreas.

Bloody disgraceful, especially after the amazing work he's done.  Turning a team of wooden spooners into a competitive (and winning) one and getting the sack for asking (fairly reasonable!) support. Shame.

Parle for FF coach?

Southern United sent letters to the players from last season explaining their position

Under-fire football club sends letters to players after coach dumped https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/domestic/1...

Didn't AFF win it?

Aye they did, Southern got to the semi final, which considering they had only won 1 game in the previous 10 years was a massive achievement. Big mistake they've made letting Parle go

2018 Draw is out - Season kicks off on Sep 15

Capital Football announce their squad...surprise inclusion, former Reading Womens player, Anna Green! 

http://www.capitalfootball.org.nz/newsarticle/6696...

I see a "Strom" from Wellington United.  Is that family of the Strom that played for the same club in the olden days?

Yes Asha is the niece of Jeff, Dave & Richard Strom

Any word on where Parle is now?

Since I dislike the NZ Football site and I also spend a lot of time on Wikipedia, here is the National Women's League page for the 2018 season.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_National_Women%...

still in Dunedin - think he works at one of the colleges

So with the NWL kicking off on Saturday I though I'd add to the plethora or pre season previews (well In the Back of the Nets and The Niche Caches) with my own one

Auckland beat WaiBOP 4-0 in Hamilton

Southern United destroy Central 6-1 at Forrester Park, Dunedin

Canterbury v Capital tomorrow

Matchday program for today's Canterbury United Pride vs. Capital match at English Park kicking off at 1 pm:

https://gallery.mailchimp.com/cfdefcb6b3e87ab6e69c...

Canterbury United beat Capital 4-0

https://twitter.com/NZ_Football/status/10411987585...

What if Brandon Clarke didn't exist? Shouldn't it be NZ Football's job, as the governing body, to provide live coverage/content (video, commentary, tweets, pictures) of each match and promote the game?

Where is the money to pay for all this coming from?

Annalie Longo with two in the first half, Defender Gabi Rennie and striker Monique Barker in the second.

Could have been 6 or 7 nil but for Pride players several times shooting straight at the keeper with no one else to beat.

Longo ran everything, often playing deep and setting up as well as finishing attacks.

The young players I wasn't so familiar with really impressed and meant that departed Football Ferns Meikayla Moore (now at Duisburg in Germany) and Aimee Phillips (now at USV Jena in Germany) weren't missed as much as expected.

OLDEN DAYS! Scuse me but Jeff and Richard Strom used to be my team mates. Like yesterday.

Correction, Gabi Rennie played as a striker. Agree score would have been  a lot higher had Canterbury taken several one on one chances. Capital looked dangerous early and have some quality players but were tactically naive, continuing to try and play out from the back when they weren't good enough to do that.

Canterbury United Pride were providing tweets updates during the game and on facebook as well.

They also did a very good job with streaming some of their games last season too.

I haven’t spammed the forums with ITBOTN stuff for a while but I thought I’d share this because I think it’s shaping up quite well and it would be great to spread the word. We have started a National Women’s League podcast called The Return Fixture. This is episode two, featuring an interview with Malia Steinmetz. Episode one featured NZF Women’s Development Manager Holly Nixon. Listen here or on Apple Podcasts. 

https://in-the-back-of-the.net/2018/09/21/the-return-fixture-episode-2-none-of-us-really-covered-ourselves-in-glory/t

FT Canterbury United Pride 6 (Monique Barker 2, 21, 87, Gabbie Rennie 14, Jayda Stewart 32, Annalie Longo 90+3)  WaiBOP 0