Wellington Phoenix might have been rocked by Steven Taylor’s departure but the club is moving on, eager to defy the doubters for another COVID-affected A-League season.
The Nix will shift to NSW within a month as the campaign draws near.
As yet, no decisions have been reached on their training base, “home” venue or even their departure date.
Club chiefs are hoping to avoid quarantine altogether or at least hunker down in a venue that allows them to train while isolating.
No club has been hit as hard by COVID-19 than the Phoenix.
The Nix have played just two games in NZ in 18 months and will start the new season in the NSW hub for the opening stanza.
The Phoenix aren’t even able to bring two key players – Reno Piscopo and new signing Nicholas Pennington – to NZ to train due to border rules.
Those rules were cited for Taylor’s departure last month.
The former English Premier League centre back walked from the club, citing homesickness and an unwillingness to play in sterile environments without fans.
Goalkeeper Oli Sail admitted the 35-year-old’s departure would be felt both on and off the field.
“It’s a big loss,” he said.
“But we’ll be fine without him. We’ve got leaders in our team, great defenders in our team and it will open up doors.”
Coach Ufuk Talay says he’ll look to sign an experienced foreign defender in January, when the club can actually bring in players.
Sail nominated Australian Josh Laws as the stopper most likely to get a crack at the role until then.
Whoever does get the shirt would do well to use Sail’s last campaign as an inspiration.
On the fringes since 2015, the 25-year-old seized his chance by making 20 starts and the most saves in the league during that run as Wellington came close to featuring in the finals.
Sail says Wellington’s academy is full of players that could take their chance this year.
“Look at the performances from the likes of Waineo (Ben Waine) and Sutts (Sam Sutton) and Clayton Lewis,” he said.
“We’ve lost some senior players but I think there’s plenty of quality within our squad to continue doing what we do and achieving what we want to achieve.
“There were teams last year that are in similar boats. Look at the Mariners and Adelaide, they had quite young squads too and they had great years.”
