Wellington Phoenix squad: 3. Finn SURMAN, 4. Scott WOOTTON, 5. Fin CONCHIE, 6. Tim PAYNE, 7. Kosta BARBAROUSES, 8. Ben OLD, 9. Oskar ZAWADA, 10. David BALL, 11. Bozhidar KRAEV, 12. Mo AL-TAAY, 14. Alex RUFER (c), 15. Nicholas PENNINGTON, 18. Lukas KELLY-HEALD, 23. Luke SUPYK, 25. Jack DUNCAN (gk), 26. Isaac HUGHES, 34. Josh RUDLAND, 40. Alex PAULSEN (gk), 48. Charlie BEALE, 52. Jackson MANUEL
Two to be omitted
Unavailable: 19. Sam SUTTON (injured), 24. Oskar VAN HATTUM (injured)
No, I won’t, astonishing that so many of you are prepared to accept a half assed job. I hope you might lift your expectations for the upcoming season.
We humans can get used to anything. It really is remarkable. The problem is that we often use this glorious ability of ours to stay stuck in mediocrity.
Are you joking?? He's not getting paid to do this you idiot. He can put a much or as little effort as he wants. And to be honest RR is one of the reasons this place is so active since he is always posting.
I'm getting sick of your negative posts so please just shush 🤫. There would be no impact on the forum if you didn't post.
Sam Sutton will begin the new Phoenix A-League Men season on the sidelines due to an ongoing knee injury. David Ball (hip) and Luke Supyk (calf) also under injury clouds heading into round one.
Sam Sutton will begin the new Phoenix A-League Men season on the sidelines due to an ongoing knee injury. David Ball (hip) and Luke Supyk (calf) also under injury clouds heading into round one.
jeez I hope Bally isnt going to be the injured old man of the squad this season. We need to see some of his better football. Was hoping that after getting his toe/foot injury sorted after carrying it for so long he'd be fighting fit this season.
Yep- our season could hang on how much Old, Ball and Sutton can contribute. Two out of 3 out for Sunday…
Really hoping Ben Old steps up to the plate this season. We're going to need more in terms of production out of him, so I guess there's got to be greater emphasis/expectation on his shoulders than in the past couple of years.
There's a gem of a player in there, we just need him to stay fit and on the pitch.
As for Ball, well if he's crocked by injury for this campaign then there needs to be serious consideration for the additional year on his contract. I love the guy as much as anyone on here, but in a thin squad we can't afford to be carrying him as a visa.
Yep- our season could hang on how much Old, Ball and Sutton can contribute. Two out of 3 out for Sunday…
Really hoping Ben Old steps up to the plate this season. We're going to need more in terms of production out of him, so I guess there's got to be greater emphasis/expectation on his shoulders than in the past couple of years.
There's a gem of a player in there, we just need him to stay fit and on the pitch.
As for Ball, well if he's crocked by injury for this campaign then there needs to be serious consideration for the additional year on his contract. I love the guy as much as anyone on here, but in a thin squad we can't afford to be carrying him as a visa.
I read somewhere that he had hopes of playing for NZ once he had residency, I wonder if he'd do the residency thing wven if All Whites duty was unlikely, thereby removing the Visa player status,.
Does anybody know what the deal is with his David Ball Football operation at NZCIS?
I was a little surprised to see that a contracted player is even permitted to run a side hustle, though I'm obviously not aware of how involved he might be in the day-to-day.
Yep- our season could hang on how much Old, Ball and Sutton can contribute. Two out of 3 out for Sunday…
Really hoping Ben Old steps up to the plate this season. We're going to need more in terms of production out of him, so I guess there's got to be greater emphasis/expectation on his shoulders than in the past couple of years.
There's a gem of a player in there, we just need him to stay fit and on the pitch.
As for Ball, well if he's crocked by injury for this campaign then there needs to be serious consideration for the additional year on his contract. I love the guy as much as anyone on here, but in a thin squad we can't afford to be carrying him as a visa.
I read somewhere that he had hopes of playing for NZ once he had residency, I wonder if he'd do the residency thing wven if All Whites duty was unlikely, thereby removing the Visa player status,.
Even if he wasn't a visa player, would there be a need for a perennially injured player on the books? Like I said, love the guy, can't question his commitment to the club and he always leaves everything on the pitch, but there does come a point. Hopefully he can shake it off and get back to full fitness over the coming weeks though.
Someone already posted not too long ago about the football coaching business he's set up, so it looks like he's committed to the Wellington region for the foreseeable at least.
Yeah, I feel people are sleeping on Old right now due to his extended layoff. He could be a real stud for us this season and give us what we were missing in terms of playmaking nous - hopefully he and Kraev can make each other better by coexisting and spreading defensive attention
Does anybody know what the deal is with his David Ball Football operation at NZCIS?
I was a little surprised to see that a contracted player is even permitted to run a side hustle, though I'm obviously not aware of how involved he might be in the day-to-day.
I was a little taken aback too, not at the whole premise of the business, because good on him, but because of the point you make - Having a side hustle/business alongside being a full time footballer who is under contract for this season and next.
He did put a photo up on insta tagging Macey Fraser, Grace Wisnewski, Brianna Edwards and Scott Wootton the other day, so I wonder if they're all onboard as coaches?
Does anybody know what the deal is with his David Ball Football operation at NZCIS?
I was a little surprised to see that a contracted player is even permitted to run a side hustle, though I'm obviously not aware of how involved he might be in the day-to-day.
I was a little taken aback too, not at the whole premise of the business, because good on him, but because of the point you make - Having a side hustle/business alongside being a full time footballer who is under contract for this season and next.
He did put a photo up on insta tagging Macey Fraser and Grace Wisnewski, Brianna Edwards and Scott Wootton the other day, so I wonder if they're all onboard as coaches?
Aleague football hardly a full time gig, and from his instagram account it appears as though he is only in the throws of establishing the his business, perhaps getting himself setup for life after football. Besides he's not training/playing wityh the Nix all the ntime and if the club is ok with his setting up a coaching thing I say good on him.
Exactly. If anyone will know how many hours training on & off the pitch he needs to do, to prepare himself for a game of pro football on the weekend it's David Ball. The ultimate warhorse pro. He won't be taking any short cuts. And don't forget 2 seasons ago from memory he shouldered on for the Nix when many won't have, getting pain killing injections so he could play.
He's been a great role model for the younger team members, and no doubt put hours in helping the likes of Waine, Old, OVH etc better prepare themselves for the tough cut throat ruthless job that is professional football. He would have shared hours of wisdom with Waine before he flew out to Plymouth.
If he's starting off a little side hustle, rather than playing FIFA for 2 hours a day like some of his team mates that's his business. His playing days are coming to an end after all.
Greenacre & Ifill have gone on to be big contributors to the NZ Football scene post their Nix careers, and the local football landscape is the better for having them. Hopefully Ball can follow in their foot steps. Again a top role model, for any young promising Kiwi footballer.
Take a chill pill buddy. I will continue to post as I see fit. As long as I am not breaking forum rules. My dislike of the poorly worked posts in question, and your totally over the top reaction - are what makes an internet forum you silly thing.anaveragestem
Are you joking?? He's not getting paid to do this you idiot. He can put a much or as little effort as he wants. And to be honest RR is one of the reasons this place is so active since he is always posting.
I'm getting sick of your negative posts so please just shush 🤫. There would be no impact on the forum if you didn't post.
Really not feeling optimistic about the season, and frankly not nervous in the slightest bit for Sunday because I am pretty sure we are going to lose 😂
Not only do we have a terrible record at Wanderers away, but they were already better than us last year and have improved their squad while ours declined. Genuinely think Zawada is the only Nix player that would make their XI at the moment.
Let's hope a bit of first round jitters can cause something unexpected Sunday.
Really not feeling optimistic about the season, and frankly not nervous in the slightest bit for Sunday because I am pretty sure we are going to lose 😂
Not only do we have a terrible record at Wanderers away, but they were already better than us last year and have improved their squad while ours declined. Genuinely think Zawada is the only Nix player that would make their XI at the moment.
Let's hope a bit of first round jitters can cause something unexpected Sunday.
Wanderers squad looks worse this season than last season but still looks better than ours. The Swedish striker they signed looks good and they signed this Dutch midfielder with a good pedigree and still at a good age so he may be a quality signing too but they lost 4/5 visa signings from last year who were all quality a-league level imports and they lost their starting local LB, CB and CM so a bit of rebuild for them will be interesting to see how they are.
Take a chill pill buddy. I will continue to post as I see fit. As long as I am not breaking forum rules. My dislike of the poorly worked posts in question, and your totally over the top reaction - are what makes an internet forum you silly thing.anaveragestem
Are you joking?? He's not getting paid to do this you idiot. He can put a much or as little effort as he wants. And to be honest RR is one of the reasons this place is so active since he is always posting.
I'm getting sick of your negative posts so please just shush 🤫. There would be no impact on the forum if you didn't post.
Every season i am excited for the Nix to start, whether it is a combination of the ALM committing hari-kari last season or the underwhelming squad, (not rating many of the players retained from last season) this season feels like another letdown... I really hope I'm proved wrong
Every season i am excited for the Nix to start, whether it is a combination of the ALM committing hari-kari last season or the underwhelming squad, (not rating many of the players retained from last season) this season feels like another letdown... I really hope I'm proved wrong
Have to say this is the most unexcited I've ever been for the ALM stretching right back to the start of the comp with the Knights.
Personally I think it has a lot to do with our weak team with a number of past it imports and no decent Aussies (a first for us) and the talk from Auckland of a team who might achieve more next season then then Nix have throughout their entire history (talks cheap of course and AKL might end up no better then the previous Knights).
No, I won’t, astonishing that so many of you are prepared to accept a half assed job. I hope you might lift your expectations for the upcoming season.
We humans can get used to anything. It really is remarkable. The problem is that we often use this glorious ability of ours to stay stuck in mediocrity.
Big difference between coming into a season with a weaker and unknown team and a season not being exciting.
Think we’ll likely get hit around a bit, but we’re going to see some players announce themselves. We already saw it somewhat in the FFA cup. We’re going to have some legendary underdog wins, hopefully in the first half of the season, so that by the second half we’re expecting them.
We’re gunna see some good players attempting comebacks from injuries or form dips.
I am excited by the prospect of deliberately saying to our academy guys- prove yourself. We’ve had fine players at A league level and well above come from our junior ranks.
Sometimes your team is weaker than usual. That’s football.
Always hyped for the new season. While I think we are weaker than last year, I’m excited by the potential of this team. Not just this season but for the next few. I can’t wait to see what our academy grads can do. COYN!
