Jesse is a really top guy. Loves the game and loves helping others. A real personality and now getting the recognition he should be up in Wellington.
NZ National League 2022
So after all the song and dance NZF made about the national league revamp and a fully amateur competition, the Phoenix are allowed to make a mockery of it by dropping down full-time professionals to play in it while A-League is on break.
Pretty insulting that our national football league can just be treated as a training session league for the Nix when they want to. No problem with them having a nailed on spot and playing all those kids, but getting to play Sutton, Rufer and Sasse while other teams are (supposedly) prevented from paying professional wages is absurd. Pro contract A-League players shouldn't be allowed to play.
Pretty insulting that our national football league can just be treated as a training session league for the Nix when they want to. No problem with them having a nailed on spot and playing all those kids, but getting to play Sutton, Rufer and Sasse while other teams are (supposedly) prevented from paying professional wages is absurd. Pro contract A-League players shouldn't be allowed to play.
Does it matter at all for a game that was long ago a dead rubber?
Maybe the Birko guys enjoyed the chance to test themselves against a couple of full time pros?
Surely the whole NZ football community wants the Nix to do well. So if giving Rufer, Sasse & Sutton a run at the best level available in NZ, helps NZ's only pro club in some small way, why not.
We all do want the Nix to do well, but that shouldn't mean bending over backwards for them to the detriment of the national league.
how is it detrimental to the league? Getitng to play against better players can only help improve the league, it was one game so it's not like anyone really missed out from the Nix juniors.
Isn’t it a development league now anyway?? Stupid U20 rule would say it is.
Playing against pros is great for Birko, shows them the level they need to aspire to. Improves the quality of the product as well.
The league is about developing NZ players/teams. How does this not achieve that goal... because it made it harder for Birko to win?
The league is about developing NZ players/teams. How does this not achieve that goal... because it made it harder for Birko to win?
Did I hear correctly in yesterday's commentary, Miramar has lost 16 players between end of their Central League season and the final round of the National League?
Playing against pros is great for Birko, shows them the level they need to aspire to. Improves the quality of the product as well.
The league is about developing NZ players/teams. How does this not achieve that goal... because it made it harder for Birko to win?
The league is about developing NZ players/teams. How does this not achieve that goal... because it made it harder for Birko to win?
It was a meaningless dead rubber affair. After a 30+ game season, and summer upon us I'm sure a few guys were likely struggling to get motivated for the match.
Running around against (or with for Weenix lads) a few pros, would have at least offered something a little fresh & different, when many minds could be thinking about the beach.
I doubt it would have happened if game had something riding on it, ie Birko or Weenix were gunning for a final spot. That's altogether different.
People: There are some really good players in the national league that the Phoenix should sign.
Also people: It's so unfair these national league players have to play against a couple of A-league players.
Also people: It's so unfair these national league players have to play against a couple of A-league players.
Phoenix: We need our reserves to play in an amateur league so we can develop our young players against the best amateurs in the country - results don't matter
Also Phoenix: However, we will need to play full-time professional players from time to time so that we can win more games and stoke the egos of our coaching staff at the same time - we wouldn't want the wooden spoon
Also Phoenix: However, we will need to play full-time professional players from time to time so that we can win more games and stoke the egos of our coaching staff at the same time - we wouldn't want the wooden spoon
Phoenix: We need our reserves to play in an amateur league so we can develop our young players against the best amateurs in the country - results don't matter
Also Phoenix: However, we will need to play full-time professional players from time to time so that we can win more games and stoke the egos of our coaching staff at the same time - we wouldn't want the wooden spoon
Also Phoenix: However, we will need to play full-time professional players from time to time so that we can win more games and stoke the egos of our coaching staff at the same time - we wouldn't want the wooden spoon
might want to rewrite that last bit for the sake of accuracy - nix bring 1st team players in to the weenix team for a return to fitness and get some gametime,
Birkenhead had no problems with it btw .
From a competitive stand point, it is a bit of a farce that some teams play an U20 academy side while others have to play a professional outfit. If it was a must win game for Birko and they went on to lose whereas the other teams got to play "easy beats" then we'd all agree it's a bit of a farce.
These are the sorts of things that should be sorted before they become issues. (Like how the U20 sub rule was obviously going to get abused). So NZF should have a chat with Phoenix, and perhaps give guidance to teams that this will only happen in the future if the opposition agrees.
Given the game was a dead rubber, I'd hoped Birko would've happily agreed to it and we all get to watch professional footballers for free.
These are the sorts of things that should be sorted before they become issues. (Like how the U20 sub rule was obviously going to get abused). So NZF should have a chat with Phoenix, and perhaps give guidance to teams that this will only happen in the future if the opposition agrees.
Given the game was a dead rubber, I'd hoped Birko would've happily agreed to it and we all get to watch professional footballers for free.
Phoenix: We need our reserves to play in an amateur league so we can develop our young players against the best amateurs in the country - results don't matter
Also Phoenix: However, we will need to play full-time professional players from time to time so that we can win more games and stoke the egos of our coaching staff at the same time - we wouldn't want the wooden spoon
Also Phoenix: However, we will need to play full-time professional players from time to time so that we can win more games and stoke the egos of our coaching staff at the same time - we wouldn't want the wooden spoon
might want to rewrite that last bit for the sake of accuracy - nix bring 1st team players in to the weenix team for a return to fitness and get some gametime,
The Phoenix Academy is a commercial entity that needs to attract good young players from around the country.
Parents pay for little Johnny and Jenny to go to the Academy because of the facilities, coaching, and free pass to the National League every year.
If the reserves were performing poorly on the field that might affect the Academy's ability to attract players, coaches might get sacked if they don't meet performance metrics, and worst of all, the Academy could lose money and maybe even the free pass to the National League they enjoy now.
So yes, game time and fitness are factors, but surely you can see that they are not the only factors when deciding when or when not to play Pros.
Perhaps Greenacre had a points target to keep his job and they needed three against Birko to achieve that goal - who knows?
different between my version and yours - mine is obvious and your ones require a whole lot of other things to be believed before they are even close to being true.
The simplest answer is more often than not the truth.
The simplest answer is more often than not the truth.
At least with the Phoenix they don't pretend to not be a professional club...
Auckland is amateur in name only, so why is playing their stacked squad any different?
Auckland is amateur in name only, so why is playing their stacked squad any different?
Good grief. Mountains out of molehills, conspiracy theories and wild speculation.
This is a development league, U20 rule proves that. So it doesn’t really matter who plays. Better for the league to have development players, playing against the best players available for their development. I personally don’t think it should be a development league but that is the way it is.
Predictions for the final? Mine is 2-1 to Olympic with 7minutes of extra time as a tribute to the world cup.
Predictions for the final? Mine is 2-1 to Olympic with 7minutes of extra time as a tribute to the world cup.
I'm calling the same score. Mostly because I really don't want city to win.
City 4-1
Why is there a wc game on the channel this game is meant to be on? Sky Sports 4
Why is there a wc game on the channel this game is meant to be on? Sky Sports 4
Cuz the game is tomorrow?
Why is there a wc game on the channel this game is meant to be on? Sky Sports 4
The Final is tomorrow (Sunday)
[Edit: Also it is listed as being on SS3]
one job Sky, you had one job
one job Sky, you had one job
They probably had both slots booked ahead of time as NZF were probably looking at both days and then confirmed Sunday, yeah it should have been taken out but if you saw the amount of errors in the EPG week to week you would learn to trust something else, like Tribe for example.
Predictions for the final? Mine is 2-1 to Olympic with 7minutes of extra time as a tribute to the world cup.
There's goals in this one for sure.
Going with a 3-2 victory for Olympic, but honestly i'm just hoping for a decent quality game between two good sides.
Hopefully a half decent crowd turns up too. Would be a nice endorsement for the game in this country.
Great game so far
Olympic all over Auckland at the moment. Should be at least a goal up, if not two.
Some really good play from Olympic who've settled quicker and are using the wind to their advantage. Probably the best conditions they could ask for when they all woke up this morning.
Some really good play from Olympic who've settled quicker and are using the wind to their advantage. Probably the best conditions they could ask for when they all woke up this morning.
That's some bullshark, that was offside
Miles offside!
That's some bullshark, that was offside
That's some bullshark, that was offside
Would be gutted if the league gets decided from poor officiating
Thought the linesman initially flagged it on the far side, but just turned and started running back to halfway.
Well Fudge.
Olympic falling to pieces here at the backend of this half.
Deserved red though