WPW 2025/26 Squad Speculation, Confirmation and Mutual Termination

RR

I would assume the ALW rules match the ALM rules, so we are gonna need a second senior GK contracted. So either Neary or Danielli might be promoted.

Would Neary's new youth development agreement meet the requirement, or does it not count as senior promotion? I wonder what it means for Danieli.

Simon B

RR

I would assume the ALW rules match the ALM rules, so we are gonna need a second senior GK contracted. So either Neary or Danielli might be promoted.

Would Neary's new youth development agreement meet the requirement, or does it not count as senior promotion? I wonder what it means for Danieli.

Turns out that Danieli was upgraded to a Senior deal when Neary signed a Youth deal last season. That one slipped past me.

Didn't want to start a new topic so just posting this here. I watched the interview with Mackenzie Barry the 'Nix put on YT as part of the season launch. What was interesting compared with the interview with Rufer, Barry had no journalists asking questions (maybe not even present) just 'Nix media man Brenton Vannisselroy. I can only speculate why, but doesn't feel right.

Bullion

Didn't want to start a new topic so just posting this here. I watched the interview with Mackenzie Barry the 'Nix put on YT as part of the season launch. What was interesting compared with the interview with Rufer, Barry had no journalists asking questions (maybe not even present) just 'Nix media man Brenton Vannisselroy. I can only speculate why, but doesn't feel right.

Lest the New Zealand football media get strung up as sexist, the context missing here was that it was the Phoenix's media open day for people to come along and do one-on-one interviews with players from both teams. For whatever reason, probabyl because there was universal interest for him alone, they did Alex Rufer as an all-in instead. Plenty of one-on-one interviews with A-League Women players (including Barry) took place.

TVNZs Luke Robinson did a story on just the womens team on One News last night. 3 news a shorter one on the men.  

Procrastinixing

TVNZs Luke Robinson did a story on just the womens team on One News last night. 3 news a shorter one on the men.  

Yes, a good story too.

andrewvoerman

Bullion

Didn't want to start a new topic so just posting this here. I watched the interview with Mackenzie Barry the 'Nix put on YT as part of the season launch. What was interesting compared with the interview with Rufer, Barry had no journalists asking questions (maybe not even present) just 'Nix media man Brenton Vannisselroy. I can only speculate why, but doesn't feel right.

Lest the New Zealand football media get strung up as sexist, the context missing here was that it was the Phoenix's media open day for people to come along and do one-on-one interviews with players from both teams. For whatever reason, probabyl because there was universal interest for him alone, they did Alex Rufer as an all-in instead. Plenty of one-on-one interviews with A-League Women players (including Barry) took place.

thanks for the follow up. It was unusual given past history of media stand ups for both men and women. I did wonder if it was a timing issue with the club or player/club preference for the on camera interview. 

Bullion

andrewvoerman

Bullion

Didn't want to start a new topic so just posting this here. I watched the interview with Mackenzie Barry the 'Nix put on YT as part of the season launch. What was interesting compared with the interview with Rufer, Barry had no journalists asking questions (maybe not even present) just 'Nix media man Brenton Vannisselroy. I can only speculate why, but doesn't feel right.

Lest the New Zealand football media get strung up as sexist, the context missing here was that it was the Phoenix's media open day for people to come along and do one-on-one interviews with players from both teams. For whatever reason, probabyl because there was universal interest for him alone, they did Alex Rufer as an all-in instead. Plenty of one-on-one interviews with A-League Women players (including Barry) took place.

thanks for the follow up. It was unusual given past history of media stand ups for both men and women. I did wonder if it was a timing issue with the club or player/club preference for the on camera interview. 

 No sweat

Any Mata updates?

Is he going to help with coaching the women’s strikers? 

https://www.friendsoffootballnz.com/2025/10/13/phoenix-name-tory-schiltgen-as-new-head-coach-of-womens-reserves-squad/

https://wellingtonphoenix.com/news/schiltgen-appointed-new-womens-reserves-head-coach/

Tory Schiltgen has been appointed the new head coach of the Wellington Phoenix women’s reserves.

Schiltgen, who joined the club in a wide-ranging role 12 months ago and coached the Phoenix U-18 women to an impressive second place finish in the Women’s Central League this year, replaces Callum Holmes, who has resigned from the academy to focus on his commitments with New Zealand Football.

She will continue as one of Bev Priestman’s assistants in the Ninja A-League, but her analyst responsibilities will shift to Tyron Curtis, who has agreed to a new fulltime position as A-Leagues analyst.

Curtis will continue to work across both Phoenix first teams, but primarily with the women.

Phoenix director of football Shaun Gill is thrilled Schiltgen has agreed to take over as the women’s reserves head coach.

“Tory has really impressed us since arriving from Waterside Karori 12 months ago,” Gill said.

“She is already well respected throughout the club and is the ideal coach to help the next generation of Phoenix women fulfil their dreams of playing professional football.

“Having Tory work across both the reserves and the first team ensures there’s great alignment across the women’s programme.

“As she moves fully into her on-field coaching responsibilities it’s great Tyron has been able to step up to take charge of the women’s first team’s analysis.

“He’s worked his way up through the club since arriving as an intern in 2022 and deserves this opportunity.”

Did I miss an earlier announcement about Callum’s resignation, or is this the first we’ve officially heard of it?

That little niggle aside, great news for Tory and Tyron though. After the U18s’ WCL campaign it’s nice to see all that hard work getting rewarded.

Simon B

Did I miss an earlier announcement about Callum’s resignation, or is this the first we’ve officially heard of it?

That little niggle aside, great news for Tory and Tyron though. After the U18s’ WCL campaign it’s nice to see all that hard work getting rewarded.

I hadn’t seen anything. Sounds strange given it should have happened now not later. Surely he has been a good servant. Has to be something cagey about it which is unfortunate. No doubt we will see Callum pick up none of the spare local men’s gigs.

Or maybe he’s now just full time at NZF. He does coach the women’s NZU20s and possibly Mayne has brought him into the Ferns setup as well

replaces Callum Holmes, who has resigned from the academy to focus on his commitments with New Zealand Football.

coochiee

Or maybe he’s now just full time at NZF. He does coach the women’s NZU20s and possibly Mayne has brought him into the Ferns setup as well

replaces Callum Holmes, who has resigned from the academy to focus on his commitments with New Zealand Football.

Ever better - a great story about being called up to Ferns duty - wonder when they are releasing that ?

I said possibly. This article from 20th May.

https://www.nzfootball.co.nz/newsarticle/153605?#:~:text=Callum%20Holmes%20has%20been%20appointed,the%20role%20with%20immediate%20effect.

Callum Holmes has been appointed New Zealand Women’s U-20 Head Coach to lead the team for the next FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup cycle.

Holmes, who formerly was assistant coach of the Wellington Phoenix A-League Women side for two seasons from 2022 - 2024, takes on the role with immediate effect.

Prior to his time with the Nix, Holmes held a number of football and futsal development roles with Capital Football, as well as being an academy coach with English Football League side Sunderland AFC.

Holmes will split the role with his current position as Women’s Development Lead at Wellington Phoenix.

.................next FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, set to be played in Poland in September 2026. 

Either way it doesn’t explain why they buried his departure in the post about Tory

Feverish

Either way it doesn’t explain why they buried his departure in the post about Tory

If only we had some journalists on here who could dig into this and get the real story.  I mean if one such story exists of course.

chopah

Feverish

Either way it doesn’t explain why they buried his departure in the post about Tory

If only we had some journalists on here who could dig into this and get the real story.  I mean if one such story exists of course.

Ha. I’m not calling anything fishy. My best guess is he has decided for a change and is gonna do something with his old coachless club Island Bay plus the 20s gig. And Nix have got the hump and not given him a send off before they kinda announced it. Will leave to the journo to tell me how fabricated that is!

Why is Macey not in AU on the preseason tour?
Any news on this from WPX?

Hopefully Jerez gets some mins in the ALW season.

Been trying to tell ya about this Ela Jerez girl...#NZNationalLeague pic.twitter.com/24aYGBva5P

— The Niche Cache (@thenichecache) October 19, 2025

Holmes confirmed as new Island Bay DOF

Bev’s final addition. pic.twitter.com/i2UqEP3uwC

— Wellington Phoenix 🔥 (@WgtnPhoenixFC) October 23, 2025

They gave away this one away too easily. 🙂

...so who is it then?

kwlap

...so who is it then?

A little anticipation and manners never hurt anyone. 😝

Brooke Nunn.

YoungHeartHM

Bev’s final addition. pic.twitter.com/i2UqEP3uwC

— Wellington Phoenix 🔥 (@WgtnPhoenixFC) October 23, 2025

They gave away this one away too easily. 🙂

you know the tatts of players too well 

Bullion

YoungHeartHM

Bev’s final addition. pic.twitter.com/i2UqEP3uwC

— Wellington Phoenix 🔥 (@WgtnPhoenixFC) October 23, 2025

They gave away this one away too easily. 🙂

you know the tatts of players too well 

I can appreciate good tattoo's. 🙂

But I had also had a tip off from a good contact a little while back.

Nevertheless, another good piece of business for the women's side to complete the puzzle.

She's the one that Vilao gave the bird to.

Wow, gotta say the Women's team is absolutely stacked! 

Despite having never previously made play-offs this feels like semi-final minimum kind of expectation...

Very much looking forward to Nov 8th!

Brooke Nunn

"Wellington Phoenix have signed Ninja A-League Championship-winning star Brooke Nunn for the 2025-26 season.

"Nunn is Wellington’s fifth and final visa player for the upcoming campaign after the Englishwoman arrived from reigning champions Central Coast Mariners."

It's not playing Mexico, but all mins in the legs I guess.

This is what happens when you let Macey Fraser loose in the #NZNationalLeague 🙌 pic.twitter.com/5O9h0RKtez

— The Niche Cache (@thenichecache) October 24, 2025

Sounds like a blow with apparantly 2 gone for the season one is Tessel not sure who the other one is. They havnt  found out how Whinham is yet. Samba hopefully back this weekend.

Bugger that's a massive blow. Lose our most experienced player in the first match of the season :(

Might be a useful squad pickup option for the Nix, given the injuries they currently have.
Was playing in Turkley fairly recently. Ex NZ age group.


Just a cheeky six goals for Maggie Jenkins this week, might as well send the Golden Boot trophy to the engravers with a round to spare

Jenkins has 15 goals and 8 assists for Wellington United in only eight appearances this WNL

https://x.com/i/status/1990654813265408297

ballane

Sounds like a blow with apparantly 2 gone for the season one is Tessel not sure who the other one is. They havnt  found out how Whinham is yet. Samba hopefully back this weekend.

Could they have been referring to 2 from the club out for the season so therefore Tessel Middag and Ishige - rather than 2 from the Women's team?

I'm probably being a bit hopeful with this, just don't want to believe we've lost 2 from the Women's team already!

I don’t get the withholding of facts with these injuries!
Usually teams announce season ending injuries as soon as they are confirmed.
It only creates space for speculation and gossip.
I’ve heard up to 3 serious knee injuries but this is pure gossip as it’s crickets from club.

Leon's injury was a hamstring not a knee. Both Samba and Jaber featured in training pics today. Middag we know had a knee injury and Whinham came off injured in the last game. Have there been more injuries at training ?