1 Barba, 2 Barba, 3 Barbarouses

Totally bizarre, his family are all here in Wellington, wonder what has happened that's caused him to want out? too young to retire? Maybe a better offer?

happy players leaving, fan fudgein fantastic

Club has now officially reached joke status

There was definitely a lot of shark going on in that team last season. That's why they played so bad. Sad to see him go.

So no one here knows what happened? Or is prepared to say..

I'm sorry that Kosta is in a difficult place but this is terrible for the Phoenix. 

Personal reasons come first obviously, but it's unnerving to see players regularly released from contracts. 

The reasonable part of me is going, OK, there's obviously more to this story and he must have stuff going on his life. The non reasonable part of me is seething and constantly screaming the words: fudge you Kosta

This is definitely concerning.

Does it sound like a Smeltz situation to anyone else?

has anyone even said the p reasons word?

If not then he can fudge right off

It's because of his partner. Family is all here, she must not like Wellington.

THE WIND - THE RAIN - THE COLD  - THE PHOENIX

I feel a bit for the front office today. This isn't a Kieran Foran situation where they knew he had next to no chance of staying on beyond one year, I think they really felt like him and Finkler would propel the Nix into regular finals footy but it's all gone horribly pear shaped.

She could have personal reasons as well. If she only wants to live in Melbourne then she is in trouble for being involved with a professional footballer.

It will all come out give the kid some space on this one, but things are not well at this club and when you have a guy like Tom Doyle as part of your leadership team the club is in trouble .The club should tell you more about the Kosta situation not the boy.Those three signings last week speak volumes on how this club is being run.Forget next season 

ah he is not a kid

This is not good at all. Kosta didn't have a great season, but was also far from our worst. There is no way we'll find a comparable replacement that is Aus/Kiwi unless we somehow pick up a Burns (not going to happen).

Seems to just be indicative of a larger problem at the club.

I'm sure he'll end up at City or Victory.

I hope he had to buy out his contract!

Considering we're able to get 2 foreign marquees now afaik since the rules changed; would it be worth turfing A-Rod, moving Finkler under the cap into Roly's space and just going for 2 top foreign players?

Farken useless piss off then 

I he was going to a club overseas the club would drag in a transfer money and would be telling us about it so theres a lot more to this and Blew.2 Kosta is a good kid no trouble at all Tom Doyle is a !!!!!!! any back to Kosta he never really settled so lets wait for the club to tell us whats going on can't keep having players up and leave like Tratt and now Kosta.Its not a happy club 

Hell yes.

This is appalling for the club. Devestating news. When we cant hold on to Kosta, who can we hold on to (with pedigree).

This is so much more than just a player being released from the club. It shows the culture our club is in at the moment.

Ryan, which is?

Personal reasons, or in other words none of our business. The club have clearly stated that it's not football related.

I dunno, I think this one is a bit vague to be honest. Doesn't sound like a Powell or a Tratt - Dome wouldn't be 'initially disappointed' if it were a high stakes, life or death, super sensitive, very close to Kosta thing.

Reckon it's more a Smeltz situation. 

I call bull shark. No one said the P word, 

Non football reasons, what ever the fudge that means.

I'm sorry but that's not good enough.

He's walked out of his contract. Therefore it is a fans business. 

He needs to either cough up and buy himself out of that contract or at the very least explain what the fudge non football ressons means (wind,rain, a combination of the two)?

Until he does he is open to ridicule 

What does this say to any potential player thinking of coming to our club from overseas? (Homeboy comes home and doesn't like it here? Must really  be a shark town or maybe club

That's what I noticed, but people here keep explaining to me that Wellington has the best quality of life between Singapore and Tahiti, also that the climate is top-notch, so that can't be it.

Without knowing exactly what the situation is [I'd suspect unsettled partner] the Nix need to tread carefully here with releasing players. Who knows, Kosta may of had to pay out a sum. 

Does his salary still effect our salary cap? I thought that when we released players the $$ remained against our cap. Seems to be an easy loophole if both club and player can agree to terminate a contract and the club is free to sign an equivalent with the money. Not what the cap was originally intended for I'd think. Possibly something negoiated here with the players associate for genuiine cases?

Why are we being so sensitive about players leaving? Its quite frankly not good enough. To many players have either left at the end of their contracts or been released during their contracts. The environment is toxic. Sure, there are 'personal' reasons for why they are leaving, but its more the fact we cannot simply attract them to stay. Even a home town boy.

I always found this strange as well, but I don't know him. But his resume does not suggest any leadership skills.

Maybe the club needs a better psyhologist/counselor/therapist. Get players to work through stuff instead of leaving

Even my wife laughed at your comment. :)