Wolves In Jeopardy From Player Exodus

Illawarra Mercury

Thursday February 17, 2005

with PAUL ZALUNARDO

BEN Blake and Danial Cummins are the two latest Wollongong Wolves players to trial with A-League clubs.

The pair arrived in Brisbane on Monday for a two-day trial with the Queensland Roar.

After training on Monday night and playing in a practice match last night, the duo will return to Wollongong today.

Cummins had his trial lined up for several weeks, but for Blake it all came about quickly.

"I only started to talk to them on Friday and now I am here," Blake said from Brisbane yesterday.

The interest shown in the duo has provided further evidence that Wolves players have been getting noticed despite the club's lowly standing on the NSW Premier League ladder.

Daniel Aliffi's upcoming trial with Sydney FC will provide him with an opportunity to become the latest player to move on to higher honours.

Alvin Ceccoli, Jacob Timpano and Daniel Beltrame have already signed with A-League clubs.

While the trio were certainties to join the A-League, they still headed there as Wollongong players.

Shane McGirr had an ill-fated stay in Malaysia but was still noticed while playing for the club after having established himself with both Wests Illawarra and Port Kembla in the Illawarra Premier League.

The downside of seeing players move on to bigger and better things has been the severely depleted squad the Wolves now have.

The club needs to fill the spots left by departing players before it is too late.

If it doesn't act before the February 26 cut-off date, the club will have no-one to blame but itself if it ends in a battle to avoid relegation into the Winter Super League.

OLD adversaries Cringila and Coniston will clash in the final of the Cringila Cup at Crehan Park tonight.

Cringila beat Coniston in the final of Coniston's pre-season tournament two weeks ago, so the boys from JJ Kelly Park will be out for revenge.

Cono moved into the final with a 1-1 draw with Albion Park on Tuesday night, while Cringila beat Shellharbour Workers 1-0.

Tonight's schedule: 6.15pm: Wollongong United v Shellharbour Workers (play-off for third). 7.45pm: Cringila v Coniston (final).

THE Illawarra Football Association will host two seminars at the Fraternity Club on Saturday - the first of their kind in the Illawarra.

Guest speakers Kim McConnochie, Steve Maidment and Keith Wallace will discuss business planning, sponsorship and fundraising in the morning session, and things should get interesting in the afternoon.

A referees segment will be held at 1pm, with all first grade coaches expected to attend.

After the problems that have existed between coaches and referees in recent years, the seminar will provide a great opportunity to discuss the new laws and any other points of interest.

IFA manager David Naylor will also go through some general issues with the clubs.

The session will start at 9.30am and finish at 2.30pm.

AAP reports plans for the All Whites to face Australia at an English premier league soccer ground in London in June are firming up.

However, the rest of the All Whites' calendar for the foreseeable future is looking bare.

The "friendly" international against the Socceroos has been set down for Craven Cottage, home of London side Fulham.

"It's subject to approval from the New Zealand Soccer board, which is meeting next Wednesday," outgoing NZS chief executive Bill MacGowan said.

While the match would be a warm-up for the Socceroos before the Confederations Cup in Germany later in June, MacGowan said playing in London was something NZS had explored for some time.

© 2005 Illawarra Mercury

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