durante

If Durante signs all we need then is both a left & right back who can 'defend, tackle, and pass'. Then i will be a lot happier. 

We have the left back, sorry Chucky, we really do.

We also need another Centre Back.  With Rees and O'Dor gone we need more than one new one.

As for the tractor boy thing - You've been a bit slow on the pick-up there LG.  It's not like I keep quiet about it.
Hard News2008-02-20 14:59:38

The tears are there for all to see on a regular basis.

Rees is gone?!

News's crystal ball is usually fairly accurate

Never fear though... we'll still have Old

The Aus crowds are calling him gone and linking him with the new sides.

i just hope they get in Sigmund, will be good to see them get some young NZFC talent in there.

Don't know why Rees would be let go. Seems really dumb to me.

Depends how many dollars he wants to stay, or whether he wants to be back in Aus, or any number of reasons

You can't assume it's because the Phoenix didn't want him, but they have to work in a cap and if they can get Durante for the same money (as an example) they make that call.

It's not always that clear cut.

i agree

Thats fair enough. Hopefully Durante will be a done deal then sooner rather than later!

yea i heard adelaide are intrested in him.

They've just signed big Sash Oganowski (I'd have loved him to sign for the Nix) and if Costanzo is re-signed I would think that those two would be their starting central defenders.
Jag2008-02-21 22:07:06

Talk is Valkanis may sign for another year as well, plus they still have Cornflake who is challenged but not complete rubbish.

I think it would be a major surprise if they were going for Durante.

Yes we have a left back. The problem is he got roasted more than a nandos hot wing most of the season. 

sigh.. are your really serious? are whole defense got roasted. lochhead was one of the only plusses for our defense. once we went to a bck 3 his only position was at left midfield, and therefore when we tryed to play him as 1 of 3 CB's he didnt do so well, its just plain logic. once we have the right defensive stocks and we play 4 at the back lochhead will be an auto-selection

agreed Muso, can't see any problem at all with Lochy on the left side of defence - in fact if the rest of the back four had matched his skill, pace, decision-making and workrate we'd have finished a lot higher up the league

New RB----Dodd---Durante----Lochhead

With another CB to push Dodd and Old as the 4th choice.
Jaza2008-02-22 15:55:01

Sigmund.

What about his passing & defending?  2nd half of season left a lot to be desired.

The second half of the season where we played 3 at the back and he was out of position, as pointed out earlier ?

His side are odds on to return to the top division, if they want him I would think he'll stay as the money is about 1/3rd of the entire clubs salary cap here.

Sigmund behind Old in the pecking order?!!

probably not!

absolutely not sigmund is going to be excellent at A league level

Another CB to push Dodd, and then Old 4th is what Jaza had.

Oh yep mis-read :)

he is a great player...a young player of immense ability and brilliantly composed and calm under pressure and if the nix do manage to sign him, i think he will best our signing yet.... 

Looked great in the final. 

Player of the match in grand final

agreed, he played very well.

Lets hope his "letter of intent" is exactly as it reads.......

Quote from Durante on Sportal

"Joe Marston Medal winner Andrew Durante has hailed Sunday's Hyundai A-League Grand Final win over Central Coast as the greatest moment of his career after the Newcastle Jet completed a fairytale comeback from a career-threatening injury.

Durante has endured plenty of lows in his career, including two broken legs in his three-year stint with the Jets. But he has left that disappointment well behind him after not only playing a part in bringing the first-ever national football title to Newcastle, but was also voted the best player on the ground.

"I knew that if we won it, it would be an unbelievable feeling. But this is bigger and better than anyone could have expected. And then to get the Joe Marston on top of that is just the greatest thing I could ever think of," he said.


Durante had time to reflect briefly on a time where he looked headed for the scrapheap, and said that having come so far to reach the pinnacle of the domestic game in Australia, made the feeling all the more sweeter.

"After the second break, I did question if it was all worth it, coming back and doing all the lonely rehab in the pool and on the bikes. You know there's a light at the end of the tunnel," he said.

"Tonight is what everyone dreams of and plays for. And I knew that if I did the hard work back then one day I'll get my rewards. And tonight is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me."

Having reached such heights, Durante admitted he had a tough decision now to make. He revealed that Wellington Phoenix were very keen to secure his signature ahead of the 2008-09 season.

"It's no secret that I've had a fairly attractive offer from Wellington. I didn't want to make my decision until after the Grand Final. I'll have a think about it nice and hard during the week. If I do end up leaving, I gave everything to this club and the club's been fantastic to me. If I do leave then there's no bad blood," he said.

In competition with Dodd? Not a chance, Dodd would be doomed to the bench.