Contracted Players - Return of the Long Pins

The stronger performing teams in Africa are from the North and West but South Africa would be one of the wealthiest leagues and on top of SA internationals does attract other internationals from Africa. Some guys like Modise (a few years ago) and Tshabalala could be playing here and be some of the better performing players but are idolised there and earning more money than would likely be in the HAL. The amount of money some of the better players earn hinders the national team a bit as they rather be big fish in a small pond earning lots than testing themselves in 2nd tier overseas leagues.

I don't think we should rate our selves to highly. The games I have watched over there were not bad quality. Top African players do go there.

Hicks, JBS also released.

"Kenny Cunningham is one of five players officially released by the Wellington Phoenix today with Michael Boxall, Josh Brindell-South, Tyler Boyd and Jason Hicks also departing."

I think it shows how far the club has come that we're able to let five players of this quality go. I'm sure we would have liked to have kept Boxall and Boyd (the on-field version at least) but certainly the others would have had a much bigger role in Phoenix squads of the past.

Would they really, though?

KC hasn't fitted in. JBS hasn't showed anything. Hicks has shown glimpses at times, but only has one foot.

I don't think Ricki would've been super keen to keep them either. I put the likes of JBS into the Jimmy Downey category.

Now we know we're owned by cashed up marque sugar daddies, the goal posts have shifted slightly.

Updated:

EXPIRES END OF 2015/16:

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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

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EXPIRES END OF 2016/17:

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Glen MOSS

Albert RIERA (f)

Let's have the word marquee next to burns from now on. 

I think at some point in the season, if you can put someone into the marquee spot then you should. Better safe than sorry, gives you more leeway etc. It's not the first time we've done it. 

I feel like we may need a marquee to win the league. You don't need to go crazy with it but making a decent player marquee would just give us a few extra options.

We've got one.

Burns is already.

burns qualifies as the aussie marquee - still outside the cap, it would be great if we could openly declare one of our international players as the other marquee spot.

For all we know one of them is there as an accounting factor.

Seeing as we had no idea about Burns, what are the chances that we have?  Krishna or any of the All Whites could be.

Is he actually?

Maybe his on field performances have been at marquee level. The reason I want us to have a marquee is because it gives us more options in who we sign. If you take Burns outside the cap then it frees up space inside the cap for us to sign everything we need.

It comes back to the owners and their philosophy on things.  It only frees up money if the owners are prepared to spend it on other players.  If they are looking to keep the wages below the cap to be more sustainable then we are just talking about a marque in name only. 

Yes, he's outside the cap already according to Morrison.

Updated:

EXPIRES END OF 2015/16:

.

Kwabena APPIAH-KUBI

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

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EXPIRES END OF 2016/17:

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Roly BONEVACIA (f)

Glen MOSS

Albert RIERA (f)

From what I understand, this has been standard practice since at least season two (McKain).

http://www.wellingtonphoenix.com/article/fenton-co...

So he's actually signed a one year extension?

Good to hear lou,

let's hope he doesn't get shuffled around as he has been till now.

Nathan Burns ✔ @nathanburns10

Officially signed with Fc Tokyo. Excited for my new challenge. naocastle #FCtokyo https://instagram.com/p/42zPTbjjrx/

1:11 PM - 8 Jul 2015

Good but contract extensions beyond the term of our licence starting to feel a bit hollow.

Updated:

EXPIRES END OF 2015/16:

.

Kwabena APPIAH-KUBI

Tom DOYLE

Andrew DURANTE

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:

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Roly BONEVACIA (f)

Louis FENTON

Glen MOSS

Albert RIERA (f)

Anyone know if we made any money off the Burns deal? Should we have sold him last January in hindsight?

Didn't Thunder say there was never an formal offer in Jan?

That's what I recall, he mentioned there was interest but no formal offer as they would have considered it if there was.

Im a bit worries we only have 16 contracted players with preseason well under way lol

I recall that if there was such a massive offer as rumoured they would have very seriously considered it (probably accepted). There was no such offer. 

Imagine we did let him go and we knew Brockie was going, we would have been relying on Krishna, Cunningham, Griffiths and Boyd. Griff broke down and Boyd was not in Ernies good books, would have left our attack pretty light. 

If we were going to sell him then, hypothetically more than we got from him now, we probably needed a player lined up then to replace him (had to be a NZ/AUS player too) in Jan which is hard to do.

http://www.wellingtonphoenix.com/article/player-si...

Ah yes, other teams' cast-offs.

Normal Phoenix service resumes.

Whelmed.