Are there still Australia Cup playoffs later on, for the bottom 4 ALM teams? Or has that been done away with entirely now, that the Nix and AFC are dropping out of the Australia Cup?
Eze has been a whole hearted servant this season, but if he's definitely gone, might as well start LBS alongside Piper, with a view to next season. Bring Walker and GSR onto the bench.
Remembering that without the Australia Cup games, the Nix's pre season match program for 26/27 may not be great. So don't waste an opportunity to further develop next season's younger players in a useful hitout, if 'nothing on the result' A League match.
Would be nice to see some kids given game time, maybe play Cassidy for the suspended Rufer? Roa Conchie is more likely tho.
Ahem, still the coveted position of 7th on the table. Would prefer it to finishing 9th and below CCM for the third year running. Plus the chance for Eze to overtake Codgrove in golden boot standings.
Would be nice to see some kids given game time, maybe play Cassidy for the suspended Rufer? Roa Conchie is more likely tho.
I think there's still a bit to play for, ie - finish as high as we can (7th) and continue on the good little run of form we've found for ourselves since Greenie has come in, so I'd like to see us come out swinging to be honest. On a more personal level I'd also love to see Eze go and win the golden boot outright which would be a fantastic achievement in itself if he manages it.
Cassidy coming in does make sense as he's contracted beyond the end of this season. However, he is currently in the middle of a four game suspension for abusing a referee in the Central League the other week.Screenshot_20260421_164005_M365 Copilot.jpg329.79 KBI know it's a different competition and whatnot, so the penalty wouldn't carry over, but do we reward that behaviour by calling him into the first team? I'm not so sure...
Going to be the final dance for a lot of guys coming off contract. One final chance to shine perhaps? Not that I think there is many that we will be calling back on extended deals in all honesty (barring someone like Eze who is most likely going to land a contract somewhere else with some nice $$$ attached to it)
Would be nice to see some kids given game time, maybe play Cassidy for the suspended Rufer? Roa Conchie is more likely tho.
I think there's still a bit to play for, ie - finish as high as we can (7th) and continue on the good little run of form we've found for ourselves since Greenie has come in. So i'd like to see us come out swinging to be honest.
Cassidy makes sense as he's contracted beyond the end of this season. However, he is currently in the middle of a four game suspension for abusing a referee in the Central League the other week.Screenshot_20260421_164005_M365 Copilot.jpg329.79 KBI know it's a different competition and whatnot, so the penalty wouldn't carry over, but do we reward that behaviour by calling him into the first team? I'm not so sure...
Going to be the final dance for a lot of guys coming off contract. One final chance to shine perhaps? Not that I think there is many that we will be calling many (if any) back who find themselves without a deal beyond the end of season.
Always disappointing to hear about that kind of behaviour from promising young players.
Not his first rodeo though for that sort of thing though is it. Rather they got it out of his game before rewarding him with a stint in the A League no matter how promising he may be.
Would be nice to see some kids given game time, maybe play Cassidy for the suspended Rufer? Roa Conchie is more likely tho.
I think there's still a bit to play for, ie - finish as high as we can (7th) and continue on the good little run of form we've found for ourselves since Greenie has come in, so I'd like to see us come out swinging to be honest. On a more personal level I'd also love to see Eze go and win the golden boot outright which would be a fantastic achievement in itself if he manages it.
Cassidy coming in does make sense as he's contracted beyond the end of this season. However, he is currently in the middle of a four game suspension for abusing a referee in the Central League the other week.Screenshot_20260421_164005_M365 Copilot.jpg329.79 KBI know it's a different competition and whatnot, so the penalty wouldn't carry over, but do we reward that behaviour by calling him into the first team? I'm not so sure...
Going to be the final dance for a lot of guys coming off contract. One final chance to shine perhaps? Not that I think there is many that we will be calling back on extended deals in all honesty (barring someone like Eze who is most likely going to land a contract somewhere else with some nice $$$ attached to it)
Fully agree here but remember we haver Conchie in our team who said some pretty horendous stuff to an opposition player in CL a few years back then literally a few weeks later we offered him a contract....
The club has a history of letting this slide unfortunately.
Would be nice to see some kids given game time, maybe play Cassidy for the suspended Rufer? Roa Conchie is more likely tho.
I think there's still a bit to play for, ie - finish as high as we can (7th) and continue on the good little run of form we've found for ourselves since Greenie has come in, so I'd like to see us come out swinging to be honest. On a more personal level I'd also love to see Eze go and win the golden boot outright which would be a fantastic achievement in itself if he manages it.
Cassidy coming in does make sense as he's contracted beyond the end of this season. However, he is currently in the middle of a four game suspension for abusing a referee in the Central League the other week.Screenshot_20260421_164005_M365 Copilot.jpg329.79 KBI know it's a different competition and whatnot, so the penalty wouldn't carry over, but do we reward that behaviour by calling him into the first team? I'm not so sure...
Going to be the final dance for a lot of guys coming off contract. One final chance to shine perhaps? Not that I think there is many that we will be calling back on extended deals in all honesty (barring someone like Eze who is most likely going to land a contract somewhere else with some nice $$$ attached to it)
Fully agree here but remember we haver Conchie in our team who said some pretty horendous stuff to an opposition player in CL a few years back then literally a few weeks later we offered him a contract....
The club has a history of letting this slide unfortunately.
I think us being an academy you do tend to get players more like that. They've been recruited from young and now think they're top shit since they're in a professional teams academy, its always going to get to their heads a bit.
Would be nice to see some kids given game time, maybe play Cassidy for the suspended Rufer? Roa Conchie is more likely tho.
I think there's still a bit to play for, ie - finish as high as we can (7th) and continue on the good little run of form we've found for ourselves since Greenie has come in, so I'd like to see us come out swinging to be honest. On a more personal level I'd also love to see Eze go and win the golden boot outright which would be a fantastic achievement in itself if he manages it.
Cassidy coming in does make sense as he's contracted beyond the end of this season. However, he is currently in the middle of a four game suspension for abusing a referee in the Central League the other week.Screenshot_20260421_164005_M365 Copilot.jpg329.79 KBI know it's a different competition and whatnot, so the penalty wouldn't carry over, but do we reward that behaviour by calling him into the first team? I'm not so sure...
Going to be the final dance for a lot of guys coming off contract. One final chance to shine perhaps? Not that I think there is many that we will be calling back on extended deals in all honesty (barring someone like Eze who is most likely going to land a contract somewhere else with some nice $$$ attached to it)
Fully agree here but remember we haver Conchie in our team who said some pretty horendous stuff to an opposition player in CL a few years back then literally a few weeks later we offered him a contract....
The club has a history of letting this slide unfortunately.
I seem to recall Conchie being handed a harsher suspension by the club than what he got from Capital Football, and it applied for both first team and reserve teams rather than just the reserves where he got the card.
I dont think an isolated incident with one player (who appears not to have reoffended since) should have disqualified him from a pro contract.
Would be nice to see some kids given game time, maybe play Cassidy for the suspended Rufer? Roa Conchie is more likely tho.
I think there's still a bit to play for, ie - finish as high as we can (7th) and continue on the good little run of form we've found for ourselves since Greenie has come in, so I'd like to see us come out swinging to be honest. On a more personal level I'd also love to see Eze go and win the golden boot outright which would be a fantastic achievement in itself if he manages it.
Cassidy coming in does make sense as he's contracted beyond the end of this season. However, he is currently in the middle of a four game suspension for abusing a referee in the Central League the other week.Screenshot_20260421_164005_M365 Copilot.jpg329.79 KBI know it's a different competition and whatnot, so the penalty wouldn't carry over, but do we reward that behaviour by calling him into the first team? I'm not so sure...
Going to be the final dance for a lot of guys coming off contract. One final chance to shine perhaps? Not that I think there is many that we will be calling back on extended deals in all honesty (barring someone like Eze who is most likely going to land a contract somewhere else with some nice $$$ attached to it)
Fully agree here but remember we haver Conchie in our team who said some pretty horendous stuff to an opposition player in CL a few years back then literally a few weeks later we offered him a contract....
The club has a history of letting this slide unfortunately.
I seem to recall Conchie being handed a harsher suspension by the club than what he got from Capital Football, and it applied for both first team and reserve teams rather than just the reserves where he got the card.
I dont think an isolated incident with one player (who appears not to have reoffended since) should have disqualified him from a pro contract.
Certainly wasn't a case of "letting it slide".
Fair call - letting it slide was probably a poor choice of words.
I just thought at the time it was strange to reward a player with a contract straight away after actions like that. I know many players in the CL who say the Nix are one of the worst when it comes to dissent (probably feeds into the above point re the players thinking they are top shark)
Would be nice to see some kids given game time, maybe play Cassidy for the suspended Rufer? Roa Conchie is more likely tho.
I think there's still a bit to play for, ie - finish as high as we can (7th) and continue on the good little run of form we've found for ourselves since Greenie has come in, so I'd like to see us come out swinging to be honest. On a more personal level I'd also love to see Eze go and win the golden boot outright which would be a fantastic achievement in itself if he manages it.
Cassidy coming in does make sense as he's contracted beyond the end of this season. However, he is currently in the middle of a four game suspension for abusing a referee in the Central League the other week.Screenshot_20260421_164005_M365 Copilot.jpg329.79 KBI know it's a different competition and whatnot, so the penalty wouldn't carry over, but do we reward that behaviour by calling him into the first team? I'm not so sure...
Going to be the final dance for a lot of guys coming off contract. One final chance to shine perhaps? Not that I think there is many that we will be calling back on extended deals in all honesty (barring someone like Eze who is most likely going to land a contract somewhere else with some nice $$$ attached to it)
Fully agree here but remember we haver Conchie in our team who said some pretty horendous stuff to an opposition player in CL a few years back then literally a few weeks later we offered him a contract....
The club has a history of letting this slide unfortunately.
I seem to recall Conchie being handed a harsher suspension by the club than what he got from Capital Football, and it applied for both first team and reserve teams rather than just the reserves where he got the card.
I dont think an isolated incident with one player (who appears not to have reoffended since) should have disqualified him from a pro contract.
Certainly wasn't a case of "letting it slide".
Fair call - letting it slide was probably a poor choice of words.
I just thought at the time it was strange to reward a player with a contract straight away after actions like that. I know many players in the CL who say the Nix are one of the worst when it comes to dissent (probably feeds into the above point re the players thinking they are top shark)
While I somewhat agree with that, the contract was given as it was the start of the A-League season. He missed Australia Cup games with the first team because of the suspension, I dont think it was a case of a "reward" so much as practicality at the start of a season - it came in spite of the homphobia, not because of it.
I'm not excusing what Conchie/Cassidy did for a second, but i think its an area where they should be given the chance to learn from their mistakes and grow once appropriate punishments are served, like they appear to have been here.
The club should definitely be harder on the players dissenting, and I've seen the staff criticised at times too - do they receive more yellows than other teams for it? Cassidy's was obviously worse than usual, being OFFINABUS rather than dissent.
They should vet academy wannabies and drill into them that dissent towards refs is unacceptable. It isn't a good look.
Anyway back on topic, chances we see Singh off the bench? Yeah right, I've got more chance winning lotto powerball this weekend. Sigh, what could have been eh.
Confirmed Singh comes into the squad. Macarthur FC v Wellington Phoenix Friday April 24 – Campbelltown Sports Stadium – 7:35pm AEST
Macarthur Bulls squad: 1. Alex ROBINSON, 3. Damien DA SILVA, 5. Matthew JURMAN, 6. Tomislav USKOK , 8. Luke VICKERY, 10. Anthony CACERES, 11. Bernardo OLIVEIRA 12. Filip KURTO, 13. Raphael DURAN MARTINEZ, 15. Mitchell DUKE, 17. Oliver RANDAZZO, 18. Walter SCOTT, 19. Harry POLITIDIS, 22. Liam ROSE, 24. Dean BOSNJAK, 25. Callum TALBOT, 26. Luke BRATTAN, 28. Harrison SAWYER, 32. Will MCKAY, 35. Henrique OLIVEIRA
(Two to be omitted) Ins: 26. Luke BRATTAN (return from suspension), 32. Will MCKAY (promoted) Outs: 7. Sime GRZAN (omitted), 9. Chris IKONOMIDIS (injured), Unavailable: 9. Chris IKONOMIDIS (injured), 14. Kristian POPOVIC (injured), 33. Dongwon JI (injured)
Wellington Phoenix squad: 1. Josh OLUWAYEMI (gk), 3. Corban PIPER, 5. Fin ROA CONCHIE, 6. Tim PAYNE, 7. Ifeanyi EZE, 8. Paulo RETRE, 9. Sarpreet SINGH, 10. Nikola MILEUSNIC, 11. Carlo ARMIENTO, 12. Dan EDWARDS, 14. Alex RUFER (c), 15. Isaac HUGHES, 16. Sander KARTUM, 18. Lukas KELLY-HEALD, 20. Ramy NAJJARINE, 25. Kazuki NAGASAWA, 27. Matt SHERIDAN, 28. Bill TUILOMA, 29. Luke BROOKE-SMITH, 30. Alby KELLY-HEALD (gk).
(Two to be omitted): Ins: 9. Sarpreet SINGH (returning from injury). Outs: 4. Manjrekar JAMES (injured). Unavailable: 4. Manjrekar JAMES (injured).
LBS has to start, can see him being the only change for Rufer but I would like to see him and Singh in the 10's though Singh is probably on limited minutes.
Rufs out but Luke Brattan in 😭 Damien Da Silvas last professional game too, this guy will want to go out with a win. Who is going to contain Mitch Duke? Without Rufer this might be a bad loss.
Payne’s played a few marginal passes so far… It’s where the game is being decided a bit at the moment. Not getting any cut through where we’re playing best…and missing Nagasawa in 10 cos he’s at 6…
+4
