The problem with the bid process was that it gave automatic first preference to existing teams. Waitakere and ACFC should have been competing directly against the new Auckland bids. WeeNix and TW should have been competing against the other Wellington bids from Wests, Stop Out, etc.
Why doesn't WeeNix play as Wellington United in the National League now? The fact that they don't makes it clear that they are gaming the system in winter. The partnership between the two clubs is not genuine and this should have been queried when they made the bid to renew their National League license.
Personally I think the Phoenix should get out of domestic football, view all three academy setups (United, Olympic, Wests) as feeder clubs and treat them all equally. Let those clubs fight it out for the National League berths and send the reserves out on loan using some kind of draft system. I know that there are other reasons for having a reserve team, like the first team players who are making their way back from injury and just want 30 minutes of game time here and there - but I don’t think you can justify having a reserve team in the National League on that basis alone. The only other argument in favour of domestic Phoenix teams is alignment of playing styles, which does make sense to me, but again, I just don’t think you can justify impacting the local club system for that purpose.
Decentralising would also give Phoenix youngsters the chance to make it to the Club World Cup at some point which would be the ultimate shop window. Even if the WeeNix were good enough to win OCL, I can’t imagine FIFA looking kindly on a reserve team entering a tournament that is supposed to include 6 of the best clubs in the world. Unlike WeeNix, the local clubs could round out their squad with a few veterans to be more competitive in the National League/OCL. A guy like Ifill or Sigmund is not going to play for a reserve team at the end of their career, but they might put in a few seasons for a club team like Wellington United or Wellington Olympic as a way of passing on some game smarts to the younger players. Those clubs could actually give ACFC a run for their money if they combined together a mix of players from their academy, the contracted Phoenix reserves, semi-retired pros, and amateur club players.
You can also question the future of TW. What is the purpose of that team? Is it a rep team for the best footballers from the Wellington region? If so, are they actively scouting all the winter clubs in the region? Would a player from a lower league team like Wainui or Tawa stand a chance of being called into TW? Or does TW aspire to be a professional team that recruits players from wherever, like ACFC? If so, how does that compare with the Phoenix?
Am I right in thinking that most Wellington football fans would happily exchange WeeNix and TW for any two out of United, Olympic, Wests, Stop Out, Miramar Rangers, Waterside Karori, etc?