The top six may be out of reach, but the Wellington Phoenix are determined to finish the season as high as possible.
The Phoenix enter their penultimate round match against Brisbane Roar in 11th place in the 13-team Isuzu UTE A-League.
They can’t drop any further down the ladder but they can finish as high as ninth if they win their remaining matches and other results go their way.
Sides 10th to 13th at the end of the round-robin will head to Darwin next month for the Australia Cup playoffs and it’s a trip Phoenix captain Alex Rufer wants to avoid.
“We know that we can’t make the finals but that’s something that we also don’t want to do now,” Rufer told media on Wednesday. “We don’t want to be in the bottom four.
“We want to make sure we win the next two games and hopefully we will finish outside the bottom four.
“At the end of the day we want to win every game and that’s the most important thing we try to do.”
Rufer insists the team’s still motivated despite being out of finals contention.
“Yea of course. I would be worried if it wasn’t.
“I think a lot of players are playing now for different things, which is fine as long as everyone’s in the right headspace, which they are.”
The captain has his own motivations.
“I’m still trying to make sure I get back to 100% fitness. I know it’s the end of the season, but I’ve missed a lot of training and games.
“There’s that aspect but also to make sure I put myself in the best place to get selected for the national team.”
Alex Rufer has missed seven of the team’s 24 A-League matches this season, primarily because of glandular fever.
“It’s been tough. It’s more the recovery which has been different.
“But I’m back now, I’m ready and I’m playing. Obviously, you want to help the team as best as possible and that’s all I can do.
“It isn’t the most ideal situation obviously, but you’ve got to do what you can and worry about what you can control.”
Saturday’s match at Suncorp Stadium comes after the team’s second trip across the Tasman in little over a week.
The Nix returned home from South Australia last weekend after a last-gasp 3-2 defeat to Adelaide United.
“It’s obviously a difficult place to travel to. Pretty disappointed the way we started the game, but that’s something that we’ve struggled at recently.
“But to come back into the game and…then to lose it like that again is pretty gutting, but we have to move on and look forward to Brisbane.”
Kosta Barbarouses scored the first goal of the comeback and now has 10 for the season.
“I’ve known Kosta for a long time and obviously fans and players around the league know how influential he is and how good he is as a player.
“A couple of years ago when people were against him, or he copped a lot of slack, there was no doubt in our minds how good of a player he was.
“He showed last season he scored 13 goals and this season in a team that’s struggled he’s delivering every week and he probably gets the least amount of chances of any striker.
“He’s a great leader, he’s a great professional and a great player for the young players to look up to.”
Brisbane has been an unhappy hunting ground for Wellington. The team has won just four of its previous 25 visits to the city.
“It’s obviously difficult, but nothing that we haven’t done before so we need to make sure we go there with the right mindset and try get three points.”
The round 28 Isuzu UTE A-League match between the Wellington Phoenix and Brisbane Roar is scheduled to kick-off at Suncorp Stadium at 5pm (3pm AEST) Saturday and will be broadcast free-to-air in New Zealand on Sky Open and LIVE on Sky Sport 3 in New Zealand and on Paramount+ in Australia.
Most recent meeting: 6 February 2025 – Wellington Phoenix 1 Brisbane Roar 1
All-time A-League head-to-head: Phoenix 13W, Roar 21W & 16D.
Wellington Phoenix squad (two to be omitted): 1. Josh OLUWAYEMI (gk), 3. Corban PIPER, 4. Scott WOOTTON, 5. Fin ROA CONCHIE, 6. Tim PAYNE, 7. Kosta BARBAROUSES, 8. Paulo RETRE, 9. Hideki ISHIGE, 14. Alex RUFER (c), 15. Isaac HUGHES, 18. Lukas KELLY-HEALD, 19. Sam SUTTON, 23. Luke SUPYK, 25. Kazuki NAGASAWA, 27. Matt SHERIDAN, 29. Luke BROOKE-SMITH, 35. Dublin BOON (gk), 39. Jayden SMITH, 41. Nathan WALKER, 46. Lachlan CANDY.
Unavailable: 11. Stefan COLAKOVSKI (injured), 12. Chico GERALDES (injured), 30. Alby KELLY-HEALD (gk) (injured).
Brisbane Roar squad (two to be omitted): 1. Macklin FREKE (gk), 6. Austin LUDWIK, 8. Walid SHOUR, 10. Florin BERENGUER, 11. Asumah ABUBAKAR, 12. Lucas HERRINGTON, 13. Henry HORE, 15. Hosine BIILITY, 17. Nathan AMANATIDIS, 18. Jacob BRAZETE, 19. Jack HINGERT, 21. Antonee BURKE-GILROY, 23. Keegan JELACIC, 24. Sam KLEIN, 26. Jay O’SHEA (c), 27. Ben HALLORAN, 29. Matt ACTON (gk), 35. Louis ZABALA, 43. Adam ZIMARINO, 47. James DURRINGTON.
Unavailable: 3. Corey BROWN (injured), 4. Ben WARLAND (injured).
