Contracted Players - Return of the Long Pins

I suspect all of the players off contract are gone. Reckon Ernie would have locked them in by now.

EXPIRES END OF 2014/15:

Michael BOXALL
Tyler BOYD (u21)
Josh BRINDELL-SOUTH
Kenny CUNNINGHAM (f)
Joel GRIFFITHS
Jason HICKS

EXPIRES END OF 2015/16:

Kwabena APPIAH-KUBI
Roly BONEVACIA (f)
Nathan BURNS
Tom DOYLE
Andrew DURANTE
Louis FENTON
Lewis ITALIANO
Roy KRISHNA (f)
Vince LIA
Michael McGLINCHEY
Manny MUSCAT
Matthew RIDENTON (u21)
Alex RODRIGUEZ GORRIN (f) (+1)
Alex RUFER (u21)
Ben SIGMUND

EXPIRES END OF 2016/17:

Glen MOSS
Albert RIERA (f)

I don't imagine the players coming off contract were earning that much other than Kenny. Basically one player around the first team, one u21 player and a couple of squaddies. So to sign a couple of defenders (1 cd, 1 fb) and 1 attacker at least?

He's very left footed and has no long passing game - real weaknesses at his age I think

yeah, I think for a squad player, if you can bring in a younger guy who is just as good (with potential to improve) then you do that. Also helps in attracting players to the academy/WeeNix if more of them end up with contracts. 

I am a little surprised with Hicks in some respects. He was I guess player number 17-18 in the squad so some weeks he was in and out. Its clear he was valued as being worth more than Rufer and Ridenton in the pecking order although in fairness to Ridenton, he was injured a bit. Hicks when he came on, didn't let the side down but was never a standout (save for a free kick) I guess you could say, he did a job.

I guess in the trade off of development vs ready now, Hicks is the wrong age and not likely to have too much more development but perhaps more ready than others? I guess its tough to measure that value vs the proposition of a younger guy whom could develop beyond Hicks but is not ready now. I guess it comes down to what Ernie needs and he may feel that Rufer and Ridenton could move up the pecking order and be guys 17 and 18 and 'ready now'...

Looking at the rest of it, Boyd was gone, as was Griffiths - Hicks and Cunningham mentioned and Boxall rumoured to be in SA with Brockie. I guess that leaves JBS. Leaves us with 6 spots if he is not back of which 1 is an import. I would suspect that the import would be the last position filled and could depend on the rumoured leaving of Burns and/or Roly that this forum speculates will happen.

You would think Blake would be one, perhaps Stephens, another CB is needed along with a FB (di Mairo?). You could theoretically look at a an import left back, move Muscat back to RB and use Fenton higher up where there is now room for him with players leaving/left but it would probably be off the bench.

It makes it interesting thats for sure.

Replacement for Kenny/Griffiths is likely to burn the import slot.  We're short an option up front with those two and Boyd gone

Ryan De Vries?

I think key recruits are a striker, CB and fullback - basically what we needed before this season!

Be interesting to see what he does with Doyle. 

In the end with Hicks he's just not imposed himself enough so if he's not starting I'd always look to bring young guys through.  Otherwise what's the point of the academy and the weenix?

Aim much higher

Zlatan?

Ask 100 people from London (who haven't been here) whether they would rather move to (not just visit to see The Lord of the Rings country) Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne or Wellington and I could almost guarantee that less than 5 would say Wellington.

It's a great city, we love it, we market that it's the best little capital in the world, but in no way do I think that actually translates into people from overseas busting to come here. Even less so for Aus players who just see Wellington as being windy and cold.

Not surprised Hicks has gone. With JBS off contract we'll replace him with another youth player, and then with Rufer and Ridenton still so young there's probably a good opportunity to replace Hicks with another midfielder but just a tad older and more experienced than those two, say Cameron Howieson.

At my work we bring in at least half a dozen students from overseas every year, for a years work experience, before they go back and do their post graduate degrees. These students are mainly from Europe - specifically Ireland, Sweden, and France. We also get plenty of people from the US, and without fail everyone falls in love with Wellington, people may not want to come here if you ask them cold in the street, but if they live here they tend to want to stay. 

I read once where Wellington was refered to as a cult, I don't know if that's good or bad, but shows that we are doing something right, either that or we are all being drugged by Capacity water. 

A good chunk of those students that we hire try and return after completing their postgraduate courses, but unfortunately we can't employ all of them, some come back and try and find work in Auckland or Christchurch with the end goal of moving back to Wellington when they get the chance.

I've also spent a reasonable amount of time overseas, working in the US and also spending months in Russia and the UK. I wouldn't discount the lifestyle in Wellington so easily, it's a fairly unique blend of culture and ease of use - nothing really outstanding, but lots of small positives add up, and life here is very easy.

One thing that players have said is the club and city make them feel wanted, I've read interviews with both Bonevacia and Ifill and they said pretty much the same thing, they came here because of the personal touch. We may not be atractive to someone who wants to drive to the high rollers club in a Merc, but fortunately not everyone is motivated by that sort of lifestyle.

Well we are looking at either and Australian or a Kiwi to try and get some depth in the front line, replacing a Kenny Cunningham type player, with Kenny Cunningham's visa spot going to replace either Burns or Griffiths. I guess that is Apiah.

Mercs out there for all pockets & sensibilities.

I was going to say the Mclaren but realised we were talking about the A-League so lowered the players expectations.

You know a Pagoda is worth an absolute fortune JM?

I think you mean:

Don't disagree with anything you're saying about Welly being a great place to live, but that wasn't my point. My point was that "getting to live in Wellington" isn't a draw-card for players who haven't lived here before. Which you seem to agree with above anyway. 

No, but there is word of mouth - if Burns and Griffiths say to their peers that Wellington is a great place to work then the word gets around the Australians. And, as I said, the Europeans seem impressed by the level that the club will go to to get their man. You can even tell Mrs Smeltz that there is going to be a top shop here, whatever that is.

Even Pantelis, who never played a game for us in his two years here, said in an interview recently that he misses Wellington, and when he comes here for his role with the PFA it feels like home.

I think you need a left footed winger too, and for that fullback to be left footed if Doyle isn't going to be a regular, and for your striker to be good in the air.

Watching the past few games and I'm continually amazed that our progress down the left often comes up short by either Wee Mac or Muscat's inability to bang one in on their left foot. When they do we seem to have short people coming in to try to win aerial balls against giants.

I feel compelled to stand up for Wgtn. Comparing Wgtn to Akl between 1981-2010, Wgtn has 5mm/year more rain than Akl though 13 less rainy days (1mm of rain or more in a day) per year and almost 110 more hours of sunshine.

And more 100k winds.

The weather is a small part of living in the city. Be proud of the fact that Wellington is now officially the windiest metropolitan in the world.

Just curious. Those that do get to spend time in Auckland, what percent actually do get back to Wellington ? Dont think it would be high

Most head back home to europe because the work that we do is speacialised and there isn't much available in NZ, we have offices in several cities so if they get hired they kind of stay where they are put, off the top of my head probably a third of the ones that want to work in Wellington manage to get jobs down here. One guy tried for years to get full time employment in Wellington, with stints in Auckland, Canada, and Ireland in between.

People that are interns in Auckland love it there too, I don't know about Christchurch - they don't tend to get many students. The same with our Australian offices. I guess in some ways it's where you spend time is where you get attached. Although I lived in Auckland before moving to Wellington and got pretty tired of it pretty quickly.

http://www.a-league.com.au/article/how-the-ernie-effect-revived-wellington-phoenix/ui3xrbamsxsf1sy7m5tvsixo1#MUrsC0ViJWPIIBih.99

It's a small part when you're living in the city. Then you leave & you realise that it's actually a critical component that makes up your lifestyle, and Auckland/most AU cities crushes Wellington on this front.

Wellington's a great city, but you are pushing shark up hill when you're competing against cities like Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne.

I'd hate to live in any of those cities, although I don't know Brisbane that well.

I've lived in most of them and Brisbane was the best - what's your point?

Here is an idea....people look for different things in their place of residence.

Melbourne is basically a bigger Wellington with more things to do, less wind, less earthquakes but more Australians.

Also less politicians - Wgtns very own soap opera