Massive crowds expected from certain teams in this years competition make this years NSW Premier League the hottest fought contest in its history.
The usual suspects in Sutherland Sharks, Bankstown City, Sydney United, Marconi Stallions and Sydney Olympic start each season with a strong case for a tilt at the title, though the consistency of Manly United could state their own claims for a strong league run.
The talking point of the launch was that of the Bonnyrigg White Eagles, however, who were given the task of being the team to beat after securing as many as twelve new faces for the new season while Blacktown City were deemed the ‘dark horses’ of the league.
During the course of the media launch, two special guests in the form of Central Coast Mariners young gun Panny Nikas and Sydney FC’s head of football Stefan Kamasz were interviewed by MC and Football NSW Executive Manager of Commercial Services, Tony Peters, about their involvements with the NSW Premier League.
Nikas has had the NSW Premier League to thank after coming up through the ranks as a promising youngster at Bankstown City, Penrith Nepean United and more recently the Sutherland Sharks.
“The NSW Premier League will always hold a special place with me as it was where I developed as a footballer and got noticed by the Central Coast Mariners.
“I had a great year with the Sutherland Sharks last year as we won the Waratah Cup and the Championship and this is something I will never forget.”
Nikas has been starring with the Mariners’ youth side skippering the squad and also got some game time with the senior squad.
The clubs were also interviewed.
Sutherland Sharks:
Robbie Stanton (Coach): “Our pre-season has been a little ‘up-and-down’ with a number of injuries disrupting our preparations. However, I have had the chance to look at a few of the younger boys and am pleased with their response. We obviously have lost a couple of key elements from last year with the likes of Brad Boardman and Panny Nikas – these boys are moving on to take a further step in their careers, and I wish them well.”
Bankstown City:
Peter Tsekenis (Coach): “We have a fairly mixed squad in-terms of youth and experience. A number of the Under 20s players have made the step-up and I am pleased with what they have shown in pre-season. I am at 36 years of age, and really it is a week-to-week prospect. As so long as I can compete and help the team, then I am happy.”
Sydney United:
David Zdrilic (Coach/Player): “I am looking forward to the challenge. Getting into coaching, I could not see a better club to start at than Sydney United. We have a great group of players, and I am really happy with what I have seen in this pre-season. I believe the entire group at my disposal is more than capable of a starting spot, and this will help the club achieve our objectives this season.”
South Coast Wolves:
Jason Trifiro (Player): “The set-up is looking good so far, I am looking forward to the season. The opinions of a lot of people were very negative last season after the club finished last, though it is a new start for us, and we will be out to change those opinions.”
Sydney Olympic:
Pat Marando (Coach): “It is an exciting time for the team. We are re-building and we do expect a lot from ourselves. A number of young boys are coming through which is always a positive, and with the experienced heads of Anthony Doumanis and Mark Bosnich, I am sure we will get the young boys up to the required level very quickly. For me personally, coaching the first team is an honour. There is pressure at a club like Sydney Olympic, though I enjoy it. If there were no pressure then there would be no point in being there.”
Marconi Stallions:
Lee Sterrey (Coach): “We will have an additional two African imports at the club this season, and we hope these boys can deliver some additional flair and flavour to our performances. It will be a difficult year for the team, especially in trying to emulate last season’s run. We have had some cuts to the budget and now have a smaller playing squad, which will make our job a little tougher, though we will be giving it our all. Nahuel Arrarte has moved to Korea for a year, and we do wish him the very best over there, even though without someone like him in the middle, my job will be a little harder to find an experience replacement to slot in.”
Bonnyrigg White Eagles:
Cliff Pointer (Assistant Coach): “We’ve kept six of last season’s squad and recruited twelve new players, keeping a good blend of youth and experience. The whispers around the traps have it that we are one of the favourites, though I wouldn’t pay too much attention to that. Each of the squads appear to have recruited well and are looking strong at this early stage, so I am expecting a level playing field with the competition to run down to the last round of the season. In all though, our boys are gelling well together at this point which is pleasing.”
A.P.I.A Tigers:
Nick Rizzo (Player): “I came into the NSW Premier League competition, and I have been surprised with the good standard of play. Physically, the boys are all very strong, and I believe that a number of the players in the competition could walk into an A-League squad. Our situation looks positive with the young boys coming in, and the likes of Marton Vass and Paul O’Grady joining the club, so we will be aiming to improve on last season’s campaign.”
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