Raroa Intermediate Pupils Quiz Phoenix Players

New signings Lucas Pantelis and Jimmy Downey, along with established striker Chris Greenacre, met their young fans by taking part in a mock media conference at Raroa Intermediate School today.

The trio spent an hour being questioned by members of a sports journalism class from years seven and eight with both sides enjoying themselves.

There were serious questions along with amusing moments, like when Chris Greenacre was asked how many times he peed before a game.

The question brought laughter, but Greenacre composed himself to explain his feelings while preparing for games without actually handing down a figure!

The budding journos showed they had prepared well by asking a wide range of questions which were answered candidly by the players.

While the 12 and 13-year-old students were keen to know which players Downey, Greenacre and Pantelis themselves admired, and which were the best grounds they had played on, they also questioned their guests on what the Phoenix had to do to improve on previous years.

Greenacre thoroughly enjoyed himself, describing the school visit as one of the best he had made.

“It was fantastic. When the first couple of questions came I almost believed I was at a real press conference.

“I reckon there are a couple of journalists in the making among them.”

Trying To Make An Impression

The first week of training for the Wellington Phoenix ended as it began – in sunshine and with no new injuries to report.

Leo Bertos and Tony Lochhead are still on the running track, but the good news is that Bertos is likely to be doing light work on the grass with physiotherapist Roland Jeffery within a week.

The weather has been kind this week with even the Aussie boys in the squad, who usually give me a hard time about Wellington’s climate, complimentary. Mind you they didn’t have much choice as they were regularly reminded just how wet it has been across the Tasman.

The two boys currently on trial – former North Queensland Fury’s Jack Hingert

and Nigerian teenager Saka --  continued to work hard as they tried to impress head coach Ricki Herbert.

Watching them Manny Muscat, who had one of the most amazing – and shortest – trials imaginable before joining the Phoenix, realises how fortunate he was.

Muscat’s arrival at the Phoenix was Roy of the Rovers stuff and even now, four years on, thinking back to that week brings a smile to the talented midfielders’ face.

While playing right full back for Green Gully in the Victorian State League, Muscat was invited to trial and met up with the Phoenix as they prepared for a pre-season cup semi-final against Sydney FC in Wollongong.

After one training session, and because incumbent left back Tony Lochhead was heading to England for a trial with Middlesbrough, Herbert threw Muscat in the deep end in that position.

To say Muscat did his chances no harm that night would be a massive understatement.

By halftime he had impressed Herbert enough for the coach to turn round and wink in the direction of then chief executive Tony Pignata, who had suggested Muscat to him as a possible recruit.

Goalkeeper Mark Paston, on the bench that night, was also impressed as his comment “for a right-footed player he hits a bloody good ball with his left” showed after one lovely pass down the flank.

The Phoenix were 0-2 down at halftime but came back with a top-class second half to win 3-2.

With triallists not allowed in the final the Phoenix had to make a quick decision if they wanted to play Muscat in that game against Melbourne Victory the following Wednesday. Herbert offered him a contract and has never for one moment regretted it.

Muscat is also delighted with the way things have turned out, developing into one of the best midfield players in the Hyundai A-League.

“That game in Wollongong was probably one of the best I’ve ever played if I’m honest,” Muscat told me yesterday.

“It was amazing the way everything happened and things fell into place. I got a great opportunity and grabbed it with both hands, but it could have been so different had I had to spend a few weeks on trial.

“After watching triallists come and go each pre-season I realise how lucky I was.

 “It is tough going into new surroundings where you don’t know anyone and trying to create an impression on those who matter.

“If you don’t have the confidence of those around you it can be really difficult.”

Hingert and Saka will testify to it being daunting but so far both players have done themselves no harm.

Fun In The Sun For Phoenix Players

The sun was shining, the grass was still wet with dew, and the chimps were making a din as they chased each other round their compound in the adjacent Wellington Zoo.

When coach Ricki Herbert threw his players a ball on the Newtown Park training pitch and let them loose they were as happy and carefree as those making all the noise above them.

To say they looked happy to be back on the training pitch after three months away would be an understatement.

In fact some – Andrew Durante, Vinnie Lia and Manny Muscat for instance – had been so impatient they had borrowed some balls for an impromptu kick around on their return to Wellington the previous week.

The hard work so necessary to prepare them for the rigours of an A League season will come under the watchful eyes of a sports scientist when July arrives, but for now that was the furthest things from their mind.

It was like the first day back at school after the summer holidays when the lads got together on Monday.

Some familiar faces were missing but there were a couple of new ones with former Adelaide United midfielder Lucas Pantelis and former Perth Glory, North Queensland Fury and Sparta Rotterdam fullback Jimmy Downey in for the first time.

Another former Fury player, Jack Hingett, along with Nigerian teenager Saka, was supposed to be in attendance as well having been invited to trial for the coming season.

As it happened the pair were victims of the Chilean volcano ashes and were still grounded in Australia when training kicked off.

Both made it for day two however and each made a promising start as they hoped to impress coach Herbert.

Saka certainly announced himself with a couple of hefty tackles on Lia and Muscat, but somebody obviously warned him about Tim Brown, because he steered clear of the combative All Whites captain.

Leo Bertos and Tony Lochhead would have loved to join their team-mates out on the pitch but were confined to the running track as they rehabilitate from injury.

Bertos should be back in the thick of things in a couple of weeks, but Lochhead is likely to be away from the action for a little longer.

There is still more than three months till the competition kicks off, and there will be plenty of hard work in that time, but for now the Phoenix players are having fun in the sun, doing what they love most – kicking a ball around.