Soccer: Kingz bring zing to Aussies

By Terry Maddaford

For Australian soccer players Robbie Middleby and Dino Mennillo, the Football Kingz are the chance to kick-start their careers - and perhaps even rekindle their international aspirations.

They last played together in the Australian under-20 side.

Until they got together again in Auckland last week, the pair, who have celebrated their 24th birthdays in the past few days, had been playing on opposite sides of the world.

Mennillo has been at Adelaide City in the Australian league and Middleby in the German second division.

"I had a good offer to stay there and would not have come back if Wynton Rufer had not approached me on behalf of the Kingz," said Middleby. "Now I see a year back here as a good option. With a new coach for the Socceroos, who knows what might happen?"

Minnello, who joins Middleby and Marcus Stergiopoulos as the first three Australians in the squad, sees the Kingz as a team capable of finishing at least mid-table in their first season.

"I'm sure if we can win most of our home games we will be in it. We have to remember the team has been formed very quickly and will need to develop over the first couple of years," said Minnello.

"I needed a change. I saw coming here as the chance to learn something new and force me to take my soccer seriously."

The pair, room-mates in their days in the Australian youth side, cannot wait for the season-opener against Carlton, although they would have fancied something a little easier.

Carlton, with All Whites Mark Atkinson and Sean Douglas - but not, to their chagrin, Stergiopoulos - will be a solid test for the new boys in their October 1 debut at North Harbour Stadium.

While the players have taken to their twice-a-day training routine with new-found enthusiasm, player-coach Rufer cannot do either as he hobbles about on crutches recovering from an Achilles tendon operation to remove some scar tissue.

"I had to go in for an operation on my shoulder and decided to have the Achilles done at the same time, but unfortunately that has not healed as it should have," said Rufer, pointing to an inflamed and nasty-looking scar. "But I'll be right in time for the first game."

In the meantime he is leaving much of the on-field training to his assistant coach, brother Shane, while he chips in from the sideline.

There is a degree of urgency in training with all players keen to impress. For those on trial there is some added bite.

"By October 1 we want a squad of at least 20," said Wynton Rufer. "We have a budget we must keep to but we are always looking for quality players.

"Some, like Che Bunce, who is playing in Iceland, will not be here until about a week before our first game. There might be some others from Europe who will also not arrive until closer to kickoff."

Rufer said he was encouraged by offers from teams keen to play his side.

As well as tomorrow night's game against a Central region side in Palmerston North, Rufer has games lined up in Rotorua, Tauranga and Hamilton.

He said: "Everyone wants a game and we want as many as we can get."

Among the interested spectators at the team's first official training session was former All Whites boss John Adshead, who returned from Perth late last week.

"It is good to see them up and running," Adshead said. "In many ways they are like [Australian Ericsson Cup side] Perth Glory. They should enjoy solid across-the-board support without the ethnic backing many clubs count on in Australia.

"I would expect them to have crowds of around 8000 to 12,000 initially, getting up to 12,000 to 15,000 if they start having some success."

Rufer can see the side being a mirror image of the Auckland Warriors and hopes they will enjoy similar support.

"Our players were at the game on Saturday and we will be inviting them to watch us," said Rufer. "And I wouldn't mind a couple of their players like Stacey Jones and Matthew Ridge - they have pretty good skills."