Recent All White not with pro club was invited to Phoenix to trial. Would only come for guaranteed contract. I'll let you figure out how that went down with the coach.
https://twitter.com/pineyzb/status/1016554245531656193?s=21
Surely Howieson?
Or maybe Payne? As neither of these two have actually trialled yet?
Still my money would be on Howieson. And no you can’t just expect a pro contract. Rudan would barely know him, and so of course the coach wants to see him trial before offering a deal. He's not a guy who's had a 10 year career in the EPL.
Disappointing that Cole Peverley and Kris Bright replying to Piney's twitter post, seem to back the attitude of this AWs player (presumably Howieson), ie if you get picked for a weakened AWs team, you are automatically good enough for a Nix contract. Esp since the Nix have a new coach who will know very little about standard of Handy Prem, or best players in it. It's a soft, entitled outlook.
Maybe like Albert Riera, Howieson just doesn’t want to be a day in day out pro footballer. Maybe burnt out after stints at Burnley and Scotland, struggling away. Doesn’t he have a PT business? Throw in some coaching, and starring at Handy level and maybe that’s his lot.
Anyway is rightly the wrong attitude for coach Rudan.
Contrasts poorly to the current bunch of young Kiwis, all heading off to Europe determined to try their luck. Also kudos to Welnix academy where a few of these kids, have been based the last few years. Whether the academy is financed by Welnix or lottery funds, it's producing results (and not just Singh & Libby)!