WPM 2026/27 Squad Speculation, Confirmation and Mutual Termination

clowns wrote:
Gap between academy and first team will naturally close this season. The league is set to be shorn of quality due to cap reduction (will be especially evident in lower quality of import) mixed with higher outflow of quality players due to WC year (Okon, Beach etc). 

Think a few teams will be quite underwhelming on paper compared to what we’re used to.

ballane wrote:
You gotta love the off season just gotta shake your head at some of the assumptions being made. 
Yes im fully aware they need to assemble a squad but we are 4 months from kick off so some of you really do need to cut them some slack. At least we have  a coach.
Would imagine they have been looking but until they got decisions from Rufer and Singh they couldnt nail down just what type of player they needed or what they had to spend. For me a real buggar it looks like we will lose both of the young players who were judged by some to be the next big things.
Personally i would be very surprised if Welnix will want to head into our 20th season by under funding the mens team. The rubbish some post about what they invest shows some just havnt taken the time to find out and prefer to post flat out lies.

 

ballane wrote:
You gotta love the off season just gotta shake your head at some of the assumptions being made. 
Yes im fully aware they need to assemble a squad but we are 4 months from kick off so some of you really do need to cut them some slack. At least we have  a coach.
Would imagine they have been looking but until they got decisions from Rufer and Singh they couldnt nail down just what type of player they needed or what they had to spend. For me a real buggar it looks like we will lose both of the young players who were judged by some to be the next big things.
Personally i would be very surprised if Welnix will want to head into our 20th season by under funding the mens team. The rubbish some post about what they invest shows some just havnt taken the time to find out and prefer to post flat out lies.

 

observerfromuh wrote:

 ballane wrote:
You gotta love the off season just gotta shake your head at some of the assumptions being made. 
Yes im fully aware they need to assemble a squad but we are 4 months from kick off so some of you really do need to cut them some slack. At least we have  a coach.
Would imagine they have been looking but until they got decisions from Rufer and Singh they couldnt nail down just what type of player they needed or what they had to spend. For me a real buggar it looks like we will lose both of the young players who were judged by some to be the next big things.
Personally i would be very surprised if Welnix will want to head into our 20th season by under funding the mens team. The rubbish some post about what they invest shows some just havnt taken the time to find out and prefer to post flat out lies.

 

Yeah and the lot up north still have a decent first XI and are probably finalising their coach in the next week or two (given they have a game against Spurs coming up).

People are probably like this because we have had two bang average seasons in a row, and nothing has really changed besides promoting Greenie to manager (with not really a manager bounce).

Payne, Eze, Oluwayemi, James, Retre leaving, potentially LBS and Rufer, doesn't bode well for optimism. (I know it's every season, but after two bang average ones, its more worrisome).

I know I can post 'bad takes and what not' but I'll gladly let it play out and hope I'm wrong but when you see the rest of the league signing players and making decisions, it can make me a bit cautious of the upcoming season.

A signing we could have tried was Tzanev who just re-signed at Huddersfield to sit on the bench, for example why couldn't we have tried signing him as a non-import GK.

coochiee wrote:
Worth noting LBS’s dad is a Brit, so likely has a UK passport if that is still useful getting work visa organised etc

He’s a long way from being Championship ready I think. So maybe first half of the season o playing for Pompey’s U21s then a loan deal down in L1/L2?

But yeah nice to see him a fellow ex Nix teenager Perniskie get UK club deals in the same week. The attacking future of the AWs?

And for Pompey fans, LBS has been solely focused on football for only about the last 4 years. Prior to that juggling being a top BMX rider as well. Hence the chunky thighs 

ballane wrote:
This every season rubbish just gets me, have some of you not seen the changes in most other A League teams rosters. People make out  as if its only a Phoenix thing when it isnt it happens at nearly all A League teams think Brisbane had 15 leave.
I get the frustration im as anxious about the new season as others but some of the stuff  that gets posted is just ridiculous. With the WC going on think they deserve to be cut some slack but do agree we need to start hearing some news shortly other than just some of the rumors that are flying around.
As for the continual demands of some that Phoenix should be telling them about things going on thats just plain idiocy thinking they have to tell fans some of the stuff being demanded. Dont see other clubs telling fans about things they have going on but some seem to have this expectation that the Phoenix should.

ballane wrote:
This every season rubbish just gets me, have some of you not seen the changes in most other A League teams rosters. People make out  as if its only a Phoenix thing when it isnt it happens at nearly all A League teams think Brisbane had 15 leave.
I get the frustration im as anxious about the new season as others but some of the stuff  that gets posted is just ridiculous. With the WC going on think they deserve to be cut some slack but do agree we need to start hearing some news shortly other than just some of the rumors that are flying around.
As for the continual demands of some that Phoenix should be telling them about things going on thats just plain idiocy thinking they have to tell fans some of the stuff being demanded. Dont see other clubs telling fans about things they have going on but some seem to have this expectation that the Phoenix should.

imanixsupporter wrote:
He can take as long as the Nix are willing to hold the door open for him - a certain Callan Elliot found out this was not for as long as he would have thought/liked 

theprof wrote:
Rufer's contract will probably be one of the harder ones to finalise.
He has openly said he wants to explore off shore options,
Bix will want to keep him but have not been one to pay over the odds just to do o.
Rufer's options might not have increased as much as hoped given he didnt play a minute at the WC.
Rufer is off contract so he can almost take a long as he wants to finally decide if he stays or goes.

RR wrote:

 theprof wrote:
Rufer's contract will probably be one of the harder ones to finalise.
He has openly said he wants to explore off shore options,
Bix will want to keep him but have not been one to pay over the odds just to do o.
Rufer's options might not have increased as much as hoped given he didnt play a minute at the WC.
Rufer is off contract so he can almost take a long as he wants to finally decide if he stays or goes.

ITK Jets fans are utterly convinced he signed a pre-contract with them months ago.

So they believe he probably has overseas get out clauses & that is why he hasn't been announced yet.

So I'm not holding much hope about him staying. 

theprof wrote:
no real loss, he only really shone in the last part of last season.

theprof wrote:

 RR wrote:

 theprof wrote:
Rufer's contract will probably be one of the harder ones to finalise.
He has openly said he wants to explore off shore options,
Bix will want to keep him but have not been one to pay over the odds just to do o.
Rufer's options might not have increased as much as hoped given he didnt play a minute at the WC.
Rufer is off contract so he can almost take a long as he wants to finally decide if he stays or goes.

 
ITK Jets fans are utterly convinced he signed a pre-contract with them months ago.

So they believe he probably has overseas get out clauses & that is why he hasn't been announced yet.

So I'm not holding much hope about him staying. 

been rumoured for ages, f true one of the clubs would have announced it by now.

YoungHeartHM wrote:
Looks like we've missed out on Sarpreet Singh too.

https://www.abola.pt/noticias/mercado-medio-que-passou-pelo-sporting-esta-de-regresso-ao-futebol-portugues-2026071412571733662

Translated.

Screenshot_20260715_063333_Samsung Browser.jpg 338.56 KB

 

https://x.com/i/status/2077097260278751547

anaveragestem wrote:
I'm guessing Singh probably wanted the Nix to overpay to keep him here. Glad we didn't. Lots of signings to be made...

Honestly I think it would have been much better for his career to spend a season in the A League. Somewhere familiar and well below the level he can potentially play at. Very possible that he would have played himself into a rich vein of form and looked very good by seasons end. 

Lots of eyes on the A League. A better move is possible after a good season here when compared to second tier in Portugal I bet.

MirjansCast wrote:
There is a lot to unpack in this article but sounds like Rufer might be heading to Vietnam (last paragraph) https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/other/seven-figure-offers-for-a-league-teen-star/ar-AA27VdLj 

coochiee wrote:
My only memory of watching Cassidy is he seemed to have a bit of size about him, which should help with making the jump to pro mens football.
I mean it's definitely part of the reason why LBS has played more in the ALM than other talented 18 yr olds.

From short video clip the other day, it also looks like Nathan Walker has done a bit of bulking up.

Unlike Ballane, I feel some (not all) of Hughes, Sheridan, LKH, AKH, Walker and Conchie will step up this season. To be fair Hughes is basically already there as a quality ALM starter. Throw Piper in the mix, who hopefully improves again on the last campaign. That 3rd/4th season around the first team squad seems when a breakout career moment can happen. 

McGarry & Tuiloma as the older head Kiwis, taking over from Payne and Rufer (if gone).

Alot is going to rest on getting the visa selections right. That and unlike last season limited GK gaffes.