Teenage talent to the fore
Both Tawa AFC and Western Suburbs have had disruptive pre-season campaigns but, as they approach the new Central League football season, confidence is high.
At Wests, second- year coach Lloyd O’Keefe has the unusual combo of youth and experience.
The improved relationship with Ole Football Academy will see Wests utilise some of its teenage talent, and the club will also have two artifical grounds to train on, at Ole and the unfinished Ascot Park project.
O’Keefe spent the summer as assistant coach to YoungHeart Manawatu’s national league side – a role he called both challenging and eye-opening. His focus is now to improve on Wests’ mid-table finish in the Central League last season.
Their oldest player is 24 but many have been playing at the top level for some time.
A huge coup for Wests will be in the form of midfielder Sean Morris, from US side Seattle Sounders.
‘‘We’re in good shape, recruitment has been going very well and we have got that excellent core back from last year. Everyone’s training very hard,’’ says O’Keefe.
Declan Edge’s recent appointment at Ole has seen four Waikato FC players join the Porirua club. Some of them will still be involved with the New Zealand under 20s, a common theme for O’Keefe.
‘‘We have got players tied up with national teams, Ole and the national league, so the pre-season has been a little disrupted,’’ he says.
‘‘We’re not going to have a chance to have the full squad together till the first week, but all the lads will be coming from great environments, so they’ll be ready to go. They’re a great group with a top work ethic.’’
Daniel Wood, who has taken over the reins from Maarten Romijn as Tawa’s first team boss, says they have an experienced squad but prospects.
Well-established in the Central League now, they rely on a tight-knit group of loyal regulars.
‘‘We’ve had an interesting pre-season, with some guys unavailable or injured, but it has given us the chance to give plenty of players a run,’’ says Wood.
‘‘We don’t have the resources of the likes of Wairarapa, but our strengths lie in teamwork and the close connection these guys have with this club. We pride ourselves on being in this league and will do everything in our power to keep providing opportunities for local players.’’
The loss of Karl Romijn and Scott Cameron will hurt, but the returning Connor Dunne and Todd Painter will be key players for Tawa.
Wests kick- off the season against newcomers Upper Hutt at Endeavour Park on April 6. O’Keefe says they will stick to their possession-based style, with plenty of enthusiasm and purpose about their football. He says internal expectations are high.
Wood says Tawa will be perennial underdogs, with survival the first aim, but he believes Tawa could be kingmakers.
‘‘We’ll push sides, we could have a real say in who wins this league.’’
Both coaches expect Wairarapa, Miramar and Olympic to provide the sternest tests – Tawa play all of these sides in the opening three rounds.
‘‘We’re looking forward to that challenge, the boys are excited and keen to get stuck in,’’ Wood says.
are
realistic about
their