Is there any other league in the world that allows a reserve/youth team into the finals playoffs or top national league by default?
Go on, I'll wait....
This.
NZF's job is to what's best for NZ Football. Having the Weenix in NL, has undoubtedly helped the development of guys like Singh, Cacace, Bell, Elliott, Rufer and others. Much prefer NZF, to be helping the Phoenix than not, which has too often been the case in the past. NZ is a tiny football country, so the national body and country's only pro club need to be on the same song sheet, to maximise the small talent pool.
I see this summer Stuff have been running no articles on the Handy Prem. The general NZ sporting public have little interest in domestic football. There was that fleeting moment when ACFC finished 3rd at CWC, but was just blip in time. Nix and AWs/FFs are the shop window for the game, not the domestic national leagues - which basically just development leagues.
Motto of Handy Prem was where AWs are made. I liked that. Personally I don't really care at all about who wins the NL, but I really enjoy seeing young Kiwis progress from there to overseas, and hopefully the AWs. The season of Handy Prem, I liked the most was when ES (defacto Ole) won playing attractive football with 100% NZ players.
However do get that some people are passionate club people, want to see their club win a national title, and are maybe irked that the Weenix take a spot in NL playoffs, at their club's expense.
But again NZF should be doing what's best for NZ Football, and having the cream of NZ based young talent playing at highest domestic level possible, is what's undoubtedly best for for the game here. Hopefully Ole/Wests can grab a spot in the playoffs as well. Just a pity that the NL playoffs themselves are going to be lower quality than what Handy Prem is.
Totally