Transfer Talk - 2018/19 Season

At least he has the right name ("gol" = "goal" in Polish)

Loved the last 3 mins or so of that presser

Liking Rudan a lot

Yip. A winning attitude. I love it. Bring on the new season!

Can confirm Roy Krishna's NZ Citizenship application has been submitted and an outcome is expected by the end of the month.

— Phillip Rollo (@ByPhillipRollo) July 24, 2018

I accept this line to an extent.  However (a) Signh and Cacace have worked out pretty well so far (b) we have had a succession of state league/A League Aussies come here and waste everyone's time.  It is still my view that the club has to be about a core group of Kiwis in the medium term (and I also get that the medium term is entirely dependent on the short term).

Ah, this may not be as simple as we think.  

I am going through this process personally at the moment.

I submitted mine at the beginning of May.  At the time of delivering the forms,  I was told that the whole process would take six months.

Three weeks later I got a letter saying that all of the preliminary paperwork was done and that it had been passed to the Minister for approval.  This was preliminary stuff was background and criminal records checks etc.  I was told that at the lodging point

At the end of June i got another letter to say that the application had been approved by the minister and that i was on the "list" for a ceremony.  You have to attend a ceremony in your local area where you get your certificate.  In the meantime, the letter said, I will need to use my existing passport from my country of birth if i wished to travel overseas in the meantime.

I am still waiting to hear when my ceremony is.  I get the impression that they don't know either and is simply a  case of one being put on when they have enough numbers.  Cannot blame them for that.

So it all depends on at what stage do the FFA consider the process advanced enough for thier classifications.  Unless WP have someone in high places to get the wheels moving in their direction for Roy.

My guess is that Roy will have to be considered an import for this season again and he wont be a local until next season.

Barring injury we should see within the match day squad what kiwis... Durante, Sail, Doyle, Carcace, Singh. If we add in Wihongi who I hope will be signed and young Elliott, we may go into most weeks with 6 / 7 out of the 15 who are kiwis.

That's not a terrible number.

I think this will be one of those special occasiions that you always read about where a sports star gets preferralal treatment.

preferralal?  Is that a word?  It is now!

I hope so for Roy's sake

This is their list they have to go through before granting citizenship;

Does this person play rugby? Go to next step.

Is this person eligible for the All Blacks? Give citizenship.

Everyone else, good luck and god speed. 

Both Polanski and Gol are very good players and more than likely out of our price range, but would love to see it happen.

I agree, I jsut watched the whole thing. Rudan doesn't talk any nonsense - seems like a good fit. I hope these boys can provide the goods. I'm really, really excited to see how this season takes shape. I'll be going to the FFA Cup game in the next fortnight - hopefully we can get a result!

After reading other comments and speaking about transfers do you think that we will sign ANOTHER (if we get the polish chap) midfielder in the way of a CDM? Who would it be? Who is left!?

The signings we have picked up have been out of left field so not sure we have any idea where it will come from.

Excellent news. Forgive my ignorance, anyone know if there is any reason this wasn't submitted earlier?

Everyone's theory was that it was 5 years but he got married last weekend... just an observation.

I applied in 1975; sent off a form with $25 I think. 10 days later got a wee certificate in the post. That was it!

None of that swearing at the Queen stuff - thank christ.

I'm pretty sure they would have got him fast tracked. You can do it with "special" people. 

You don't have to be a citizen to play rugby for the all blacks so don't think so

I'm still hanging on to the hope that Rudan pays out Lowry.

Lochead was already on the homeward leg of his career when he turned up.  Paston had issues overseas (injury etc), Siggy was too busy doing other things for a long while so was never going to make it outside of NZ, Brown was meh in the USA and Bertos was probably offered more money to move home then to keep playing lower league football in the UK.  

As has been said, the club did approach our two best keepers who turned us down so what can you do?

Its a special word coined by sports stars for sports stars when applying for visas etc  lol

Or cricket or netball.... or football (Daniel remember).

Nix to announce another signing tomorrow, this is surely Kopy?

[Edit: Also now the FFA is allowing loans, does Rudan ask the Roar about Dane Ingham on a season long loan?]

Gulley > Dingham

Just for the record. I am not applying for citizenship. 

You're welcome!

Come on Coops we are all aware you dont handle rejection well and thats the reason you dont apply.

As he has started both pre-season games so far and not looked out of place I don't see it.

You do not have to hold an Aussie citizenship to play for the Wallabies either (Quade Cooper)

Saw that and thought of you RR - well done! If Syd is going for him, we have no shot.

At least Williams whom only seems to score against us and Nichols too, hopefully wont be scoring against us again.

Maybe the Phoenix should look at 21-year-old New Zealand defender Kyle Adams. Has made 15 starts in the USL this season, his first season as a pro. Pretty sure all have been at right back?

What is the standard like?

Does anyone have any news on Hudson-Wihongi's injury?

I went fishing for an update yesterday but it was carefully avoided by the person I was talking with.

23 player squad, with three GKs, and 20 outfielders - two for each position.

Maybe this:

Formation

'Twin CAM' with no striker; Nichols expected to get forward. Wingers encouraged to move infield and link with the CAMS; Fullbacks to overlap. I believe those four will score goals.

Positions

Smith - the ruthless option (as used with Parkhouse) would be to have him play Handa Prem this year and bring in another keeper (and another under 20 player for the squad - three are needed). IMO whoever threw him in to the squad last year did no-one any favours.

Cacace vs Doyle - Cacace a better attacking option. Doyle overlaps well, but Cacace is better at creating and sustaining attacking moves.

Fox vs Durante vs Taylor - who starts is TBC.

DR - while Fox, Lowry and Fenton have all played there, there's a hole there - need a quality RB and cover.

DM - Quality DM needed, worth using an import slot on. Also cover for Kopczynski

Cover for Singh - another skilful creative playmaker... who?

Cover for Nichols - maybe a big strong traditional striker (with a good touch and awareness of the off-side rule), and good in the air, to give another attacking option.

Cover for Krishna - who?

Williams vs Burns - Williams starts on end-of-season form, IMO.

Fenton - being used as attacking mid in trial games; has played FB. I don't see him as a CAM though. Could cover FB, wing and DM (all R). A good sub?

Already there is genuine competitions for some positions - Burns on Williams, Krishna and Nicols, and between the centre backs. Rudan will be aiming to have pressure on all positions by the time the squad is finalised.

Would be interesting also to try Cacace at L DM, and Doyle at LB... like this:

I like this. Cacace, Singh, Nicols, Krishna and Williams are all creative skilful players. Maybe Kopetc too, TBC.