WPM 2025/26 Squad Speculation, Confirmation and Mutual Termination

observerfromuh

ballane

hepatitis

Once it was a letdown if a player went to another club, he was disloyal.
Now, it's more unusual if a player stays all his career at one club.
If Rufer wants to go elsewhere, to another location, A league or further afield, good on him, it's his life and career.

Agree but i for one will be bitterly disappointed if we lose him to another A League club. 

 Agree on all the sentiments, if another team in the league want to offer a contract that is better for Rufer and his family and we don't want to match/get close, I won't begrudge him for leaving. He's at the age where he has to start looking out for him and his family.

Is he worth more to us as a legacy player? If only part of his salary counts towards the cap.

I thought they have got rid of all that stuff. Just a hard cap next year with one marquee outside.

AucklandPhoenix

I thought they have got rid of all that stuff. Just a hard cap next year with one marquee outside.

Ah, OK, ta.

I agree - it would be pretty grim for Ishige to go back to Japan to rehab while unable to play, and in the middle of winter too.   
Also, who knows  - there could be a bit of a word-of-mouth spread in Japan that this is a decent club to consider for J-league players.  Goodwill towards ex-employees is an amazing business attribute.

Three striker options, good back ups for the wide roles, three decent mids with some more experienced younger players itching for time and a strong back three. Should be enough starters and subs to keep up that high press and playing pace for 90. And the option to go to a back four.

The squad we were meant to be, plus BT, and Kartum for Ishige.

Eze, Kartum/Piper
Mileusnic/Armiento     Payne/LBS
Nagasawa, Rufer, Retre
Hughes James Tuiloma

Sheridan LKH Conchie Loke Cassidy as the other bench options
(Edwards Walker Smith GSR? Supyk injured)

Mainland FC

I agree - it would be pretty grim for Ishige to go back to Japan to rehab while unable to play, and in the middle of winter too.   
Also, who knows  - there could be a bit of a word-of-mouth spread in Japan that this is a decent club to consider for J-league players.  Goodwill towards ex-employees is an amazing business attribute.

He's also got a crew of people here to rehab with. Being the 3 girls from our ALW team. Gotta be more fun in the gym with a crew on the same recovery program.

Sounds like Kartum is desperate to play some footy! Hope it translates into on field performance

AucklandPhoenix

I thought they have got rid of all that stuff. Just a hard cap next year with one marquee outside.

has that been finalised/agreed to? 

Just refreshing my memory looking back at press releases, this season the league was supposed to have a 'hard cap trial' of AU$3.5m (which I'm not sure if it has been implemented) followed by the AU$3m hard cap with 1 marquee for 26/27 (incl. at least 6 u21 players on full contracts not incl. scholarship) and then 27/28 it was suggested that a new model salary cap influenced by clubs' revenues (which may ingrain clubs to certain areas of the table possibly more so than current soft cap does).

Maybe can’t be injury replacement with a loan?

Anyway! 

Sander belt on and boots on and get here and let’s get this job done! 

Cheers Cammy mate. 

Thats strange i got told 2 weeks ago he was already back in Japan.
Bloody football rumors. 😁

I believe so.

I think the hard cap trial is just that a trial. No one gets their bottom smacked if it’s not met.

But next year the strap comes out.

Bullion

AucklandPhoenix

I thought they have got rid of all that stuff. Just a hard cap next year with one marquee outside.

has that been finalised/agreed to? 

Just refreshing my memory looking back at press releases, this season the league was supposed to have a 'hard cap trial' of AU$3.5m (which I'm not sure if it has been implemented) followed by the AU$3m hard cap with 1 marquee for 26/27 (incl. at least 6 u21 players on full contracts not incl. scholarship) and then 27/28 it was suggested that a new model salary cap influenced by clubs' revenues (which may ingrain clubs to certain areas of the table possibly more so than current soft cap does).

AucklandPhoenix

I believe so.

I think the hard cap trial is just that a trial. No one gets their bottom smacked if it’s not met.

But next year the strap comes out.

Bullion

AucklandPhoenix

I thought they have got rid of all that stuff. Just a hard cap next year with one marquee outside.

has that been finalised/agreed to? 

Just refreshing my memory looking back at press releases, this season the league was supposed to have a 'hard cap trial' of AU$3.5m (which I'm not sure if it has been implemented) followed by the AU$3m hard cap with 1 marquee for 26/27 (incl. at least 6 u21 players on full contracts not incl. scholarship) and then 27/28 it was suggested that a new model salary cap influenced by clubs' revenues (which may ingrain clubs to certain areas of the table possibly more so than current soft cap does).

None of this has been agreed. A new collective bargaining agreement needs to be struck between APL and the PFA for next season onwards and there's likely to be plenty of back and forth. The 'hard cap trial' was words on a piece of paper, nothing of actual significance.

Nelfoos

NZCIS has better rehab facilities than he'd find anywhere else, I imagine.

Off topic a little bit. But Niche Cache mentioned this week, a young injury plagued Matt Dibley-Dias is lucky that he is still contracted to Fulham for another 18 months, and so can use the top class facilities at Craven Cottage for his latest rehab. 

All too often (more so in the past) a player with a long term injury like an ACL, has to organise their own rehab, and face all the mental and physical challenges solo.

To echo the above, well done the Nix re Ishige. We also saw it a bit when they found a role for Lily Alfeld at the club, when injury ruined her career.

Kartum was playing for Brann (based in Bergen) before joining Hearts.

Bergen is very pretty, and a bit Welly like, built around a harbour. It is also the rainiest city in Europe. 27 years ago I skinny dipped in a icy fjord there. A great hangover cure.

After living there and Edinburgh, summer time Welly will seem like the South of France for Sander. Will take him time to adjust to the Aussie heat though - just ask AFC's Verstraete. He might be coming off around the 65 min mark for awhile.

Whenever I get excited about a new number 10 I just get sad thinking about how little protection there is for the ball carrier in the A-league. Eze last weekend carried the ball through so many fouls without any action for the perpetrators, yes the ref gave advantage but on at least one occasion should have come back and given a yellow. It seems refs are only interested if you are late to the ball, but you can do whatever you like if you are near the ball and the ball carrier e.g. the brisbane players attempted knee/leg breaker on Conchie a few weeks ago, nowhere near the ball but got plenty of Conchie's standing leg. 
Or am I going soft?

brookem

Sorry I know this is the men thread so keeping it brief. But was the same done on the women side? Or did they have an extra visa spot already?

theprof

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360925191/wellington-phoenix-sign-norwegian-import-sander-kartum-loan-scottish-club-hearts

"Ishige has had his contract terminated by mutual consent to allow the Phoenix to sign an additional visa player but will continue his rehabilitation in Wellington."

Ishige had to be released in order to free up the visa slot because he obviously didn't earn over the 300k required to qualify for an injury replacement.

In the ALW I haven't seen any mention of a minimum salary to qualify for an injury replacement. So Woods is Middag's injury replacement & we can get one for Samba also.

I would assume we are using a marquee or designated player spot for Kartum, just because we wouldn't have had that kinda cash free in the salary cap just in case we needed a replacement visa player.

Ahh okay thank you. I am not caught up in the whole has to be earning x amount of money and all that stuff

RR

brookem

Sorry I know this is the men thread so keeping it brief. But was the same done on the women side? Or did they have an extra visa spot already?

theprof

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360925191/wellington-phoenix-sign-norwegian-import-sander-kartum-loan-scottish-club-hearts

"Ishige has had his contract terminated by mutual consent to allow the Phoenix to sign an additional visa player but will continue his rehabilitation in Wellington."

Ishige had to be released in order to free up the visa slot because he obviously didn't earn over the 300k required to qualify for an injury replacement.

In the ALW I haven't seen any mention of a minimum salary to qualify for an injury replacement. So Woods is Middag's injury replacement & we can get one for Samba also.

ballane

Thats strange i got told 2 weeks ago he was already back in Japan.
Bloody football rumors. 😁

 
Came back for New Years with the family and back to Wellington because it’s your OE? 

NZ and Aussie have a great reputation. People often tell me ‘O I went to New Zealand for 4 days for my honeymoon’ or ‘I studied English there for two weeks’ or some such. People don’t often get a lot of time off. A trip can often be a big deal and an important memory. It’s certainly not expected that everyone will do a working holiday or an OE. 

A few more months of NZ summer? While you rehabilitate? With a bit of a contract pay out? Could be a thing!

RR

brookem

Sorry I know this is the men thread so keeping it brief. But was the same done on the women side? Or did they have an extra visa spot already?

theprof

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360925191/wellington-phoenix-sign-norwegian-import-sander-kartum-loan-scottish-club-hearts

"Ishige has had his contract terminated by mutual consent to allow the Phoenix to sign an additional visa player but will continue his rehabilitation in Wellington."

Ishige had to be released in order to free up the visa slot because he obviously didn't earn over the 300k required to qualify for an injury replacement.

In the ALW I haven't seen any mention of a minimum salary to qualify for an injury replacement. So Woods is Middag's injury replacement & we can get one for Samba also.

Wouldnt squad size come into if we replace Samba remembering we have know signed two this window dosnt that take us back up to the maximum. Stand to be corrected on that.

ballane

RR

brookem

Sorry I know this is the men thread so keeping it brief. But was the same done on the women side? Or did they have an extra visa spot already?

theprof

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360925191/wellington-phoenix-sign-norwegian-import-sander-kartum-loan-scottish-club-hearts

"Ishige has had his contract terminated by mutual consent to allow the Phoenix to sign an additional visa player but will continue his rehabilitation in Wellington."

Ishige had to be released in order to free up the visa slot because he obviously didn't earn over the 300k required to qualify for an injury replacement.

In the ALW I haven't seen any mention of a minimum salary to qualify for an injury replacement. So Woods is Middag's injury replacement & we can get one for Samba also.

Wouldnt squad size come into if we replace Samba remembering we have know signed two this window dosnt that take us back up to the maximum. Stand to be corrected on that.

Nope, an injury replacement for Samba would just replace her in the squad. 

Samba is still contracted with the club but is not eligible to play whilst we have an injury replacement in her spot (not that she can for 6-9 months anyways).

Is this just a loan or a Loan with an option to buy?

coochiee

Kartum was playing for Brann (based in Bergen) before joining Hearts.

Bergen is very pretty, and a bit Welly like, built around a harbour. It is also the rainiest city in Europe. 27 years ago I skinny dipped in a icy fjord there. A great hangover cure.

After living there and Edinburgh, summer time Welly will seem like the South of France for Sander. Will take him time to adjust to the Aussie heat though - just ask AFC's Verstraete. He might be coming off around the 65 min mark for awhile.

where haven't you been?

I bet he's never been to Wainuiomata.

Jessie Merino

I bet he's never been to Wainuiomata.

Wrong. Friends have called my life peripatetic.
Previously owned two rentals in Wainui with one brother, and my first ever girl friend was from Moores Valley.
I was very nervous 19 yr old driving the Toyota Starlet (999cc) up that fudgeing big hill.

I was keen to buy Tana Umaga's old family home. But brother wasn't keen. It was an ice box. Say hi to David Selig at Harcourts Wainui if anyone knows him.

The Oslo-Bergen trip (UK bank holiday weekend) also involved a Massey Uni mate from Pio Pio, a local lass, a flat party and a sturdy washing machine. Moose steaks are tasty from hazy memory.  

Jessie Merino

I bet he's never been to Wainuiomata.

You better not be bagging on Wainuiomata. Nothing wrong with it have lived there for 45 years 

Welnix help keep the Jets propped up and this is how they repay us.  How dare they???  I'll be sad to see him go but as others have said would prefer it wasn't to another A-League team. 

RR

🚨🌕| The Newcastle Jets are trying to lure Alex Rufer (29) away from Wellington ⚡️

[@marcothejourno] pic.twitter.com/4kxMfMrJFE

— AusFootHQ (@ALeagueHQ) January 14, 2026

Welcome to Wellington Sander.
As has been pointed out a bit of a temperature difference between Scotland and playing in Australia. My friend in Aberdeen sent me photos of the huge snow drifts. They couldnt get out of the house for four days.
I went to Bergen years ago...lovely town. I ate whale meat in a restaurant. When I got home my Greenpeace friends wouldnt talk to me for weeks. Wasnt my fault. I cant read a Norwegian menu. In case you are wondering it tastes like fishy corned beef. Lots of seal skin clothes there too.

austin111

Welcome to Wellington Sander.
As has been pointed out a bit of a temperature difference between Scotland and playing in Australia. My friend in Aberdeen sent me photos of the huge snow drifts. They couldnt get out of the house for four days.
I went to Bergen years ago...lovely town. I ate whale meat in a restaurant. When I got home my Greenpeace friends wouldnt talk to me for weeks. Wasnt my fault. I cant read a Norwegian menu. In case you are wondering it tastes like fishy corned beef. Lots of seal skin clothes there too.

Edinburgh wasn’t nearly as badly affected. They had to use proper snow ploughs on the trains to keep the Aberdeen Inverness line open! Pretty impressive amount of snow. But still, that winter to summer will be a welcome shift I’m sure!

Procrastinixing

Welnix help keep the Jets propped up and this is how they repay us.  How dare they???  I'll be sad to see him go but as others have said would prefer it wasn't to another A-League team. 

RR

🚨🌕| The Newcastle Jets are trying to lure Alex Rufer (29) away from Wellington ⚡️

[@marcothejourno] pic.twitter.com/4kxMfMrJFE

— AusFootHQ (@ALeagueHQ) January 14, 2026

Can't see him going to another a-league club. He will go overseas or finish with the Phoenix. 

no player has the right to leave the phoenix unless they go to real madrid

however, because of his amazing service, i'll be ok if rufes lands in the premier league.

anything closer to home, perth, newcastle, auckland or upper hutt, and i'll be furious

Elemenop

Procrastinixing

Welnix help keep the Jets propped up and this is how they repay us.  How dare they???  I'll be sad to see him go but as others have said would prefer it wasn't to another A-League team. 

RR

🚨🌕| The Newcastle Jets are trying to lure Alex Rufer (29) away from Wellington ⚡️

[@marcothejourno] pic.twitter.com/4kxMfMrJFE

— AusFootHQ (@ALeagueHQ) January 14, 2026

Can't see him going to another a-league club. He will go overseas or finish with the Phoenix. 

Elemenop

Procrastinixing

Welnix help keep the Jets propped up and this is how they repay us.  How dare they???  I'll be sad to see him go but as others have said would prefer it wasn't to another A-League team. 

RR

🚨🌕| The Newcastle Jets are trying to lure Alex Rufer (29) away from Wellington ⚡️

[@marcothejourno] pic.twitter.com/4kxMfMrJFE

— AusFootHQ (@ALeagueHQ) January 14, 2026

Can't see him going to another a-league club. He will go overseas or finish with the Phoenix. 

Agreed! the Alessandro del Piero principle.  OK if you leave Juventus for Sydney FC, but not for another club in Italy.  And after Sydney ADP said "he equally could not go and play for another ALM club" and went to India.

Mainland FC

Elemenop

Procrastinixing

Welnix help keep the Jets propped up and this is how they repay us.  How dare they???  I'll be sad to see him go but as others have said would prefer it wasn't to another A-League team. 

RR

🚨🌕| The Newcastle Jets are trying to lure Alex Rufer (29) away from Wellington ⚡️

[@marcothejourno] pic.twitter.com/4kxMfMrJFE

— AusFootHQ (@ALeagueHQ) January 14, 2026

Can't see him going to another a-league club. He will go overseas or finish with the Phoenix. 

Elemenop

Procrastinixing

Welnix help keep the Jets propped up and this is how they repay us.  How dare they???  I'll be sad to see him go but as others have said would prefer it wasn't to another A-League team. 

RR

🚨🌕| The Newcastle Jets are trying to lure Alex Rufer (29) away from Wellington ⚡️

[@marcothejourno] pic.twitter.com/4kxMfMrJFE

— AusFootHQ (@ALeagueHQ) January 14, 2026

Can't see him going to another a-league club. He will go overseas or finish with the Phoenix. 

Agreed! the Alessandro del Piero principle.  OK if you leave Juventus for Sydney FC, but not for another club in Italy.  And after Sydney ADP said "he equally could not go and play for another ALM club" and went to India.

ADP's a legend, and amazingly loyal. When Juve were relegated he got offers from all the top clubs in Europe and stayed at Juve to play Serie B

Hope like hell the club are front footing some of those guys on one year contracts and working on them KNOW.

ballane

Hope like hell the club are front footing some of those guys on one year contracts and working on them KNOW.

On the FeverTua mate?? 😁
Thought you’d be in the know, you’ve often got the inside track.😉

No sadly couldnt do it this year.
Havnt heard a whisper.😉

Hughes is consistently playing really well now. His contract expires 2027/28, but he keeps playing like he is, I can see the Nix getting offers for him this winter.

UK passport, so that would seem a natural destination. A club around the level  of say Plymouth, that Waine signed for??

The club are due some valuable transfer fees. End of this season it will be two years since Paulsen, Old & Surman were all sold.

Good news is that with Tuiloma signed, plus LKH, Sheridan and even Jayden Smith all with ALM experience the club has some depth in their defender stocks. And then hopefully James is re-signed for say 2 more seasons.

Isa Prins has phenomenal feet. Can see what Ifil was talking about.

If the Nix can get a healthy transfer fee for Hughes later this (of course that may not happen) plus get some nice FIFA compensation funds from having Payne and Rufer away at the World Cup, they may not be so fixated on recruiting NZ players mostly via the Academy for next season. 

Higher chance that down the track they could earn a possible transfer fee via selling Isa Prins than Dan Edwards.

Of course with APL's mooted for changes to the ALM salary cap, Auckland FC themselves may need to recruit some cheaper Kiwi players for their ALM squad.

Either way young guys like Prins, Matt Ellis, Owen Smith etc definitely have a shop window with this OFC League to promote themselves.

I really think the recent Hughes bandwagon (now talking transfer fees) is a little premature.

I mean didn’t the team and Hughes just recently after eighteen games or something just record their first clean sheet?

Everyone needs to calm down and not be so extreme 

When he is a top A league defender starting for the All Whites (or at minimum first sub) then maybe.

At least first let Pine let him into the top 50 football kiwi list!