United's future hangs on fate of five

Wairarapa United football coach Phil Keinzley is playing down the personal significance of his team's final central league match of the season against Western Suburbs at Hullena Park, Masterton on Saturday.
It will be Keinzley's last appearance in the coaching role but, while he will admit to a tinge of sadness at giving up a job he loves because of increasing work commitments, he is more interested in talking about the possibility of the game signalling the end of the road for five Wairarapa United players he labels "legends" - Pita Rabo, Waisake Subatu, Sakeo Valevou, Miroslav Tvaroh and Seule Soromon.
Their future hangs in the balance because of immigration hassles that may force them to return to their homelands and is, in fact, the subject of a petition which will circulate around Hullena Park, inviting spectators to show their support for their being allowed to stay resident in New Zealand.
"Those guys have been the guts of why we have performed so well over recent times and, quite frankly, it's hard to imagine Wairarapa United surviving without them. That's how important they are," Keinzley said. "So if they were to go, it could actually mean the end of the club and that's no bull. It really is that serious."
Keinzley believes the absence of Wairarapa United would not only be a huge blow for the region's football fraternity but for the province as a whole.
"Wairarapa people enjoy seeing top sport played no matter what the code and we've been lucky to get a lot of rugby, netball and hockey folk along to our games," he said. "Hopefully they will pop in on Saturday and sign the petition. The more names we can get, the better."
While the plight of the five players - and Keinzley's retirement - will provide a huge incentive for Wairarapa United to turn on the firepower against Western Suburbs, the coach isn't taking anything for granted from a results viewpoint.
Whatever happens in that respect, Wairarapa United will still end up a meritorious third behind Olympic and Miramar Rangers. But Keinzley wants them to finish their season on a high note and he knows from past experience that Western Suburbs will come out firing on all cylinders.
"We've only beaten them once in our history and that was the last time we played, so the record book is clearly on their side," he said. "And if they beat us, they could could jump into fourth. Lose, and they'll have had one of their worst seasons in recent times. So there won't be any lack of incentive for them either."
Tactically Wairarapa United will, as usual, be placing the emphasis on attack with the idea being to give talented strikers Seule Soromon and Campbell Banks as much opportunity as possible to test the defensive capabilities of their opposition.
"We will be looking to stretch their defence by using the full width of the field. We'll be looking to come at them from all directions," Keinzley said. "We won't be holding anything back but then we never do."
While he was not about to reflect at length on his own coaching career, you only have to look at the bare statistics to realise the huge influence Keinzley has had in that role.
He has coached 20 Wairarapa junior or senior representative sides in 182 games, the Wairarapa United women's team in 168 games and the Wairarapa United men's team in 225 games.
Throw in other less hectic coaching positions at Wairarapa College, Kuranui College, Greytown, Martinborough and Carterton, and you soon get the picture.