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\u201cI think they\u2019ll comfortably make the playoffs and be a threat to everyone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve got good players, tactically they\u2019re well organised. Both games have been real battles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe want to make sure we win the best of three. It\u2019s Porirua Park, and hopefully that home advantage counts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the season enters the final stretch, every game is crucial in the hunt for a playoff spot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a must-win game. If we don\u2019t win on the weekend, we give ourselves a bit of a mountain to climb. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf we can take points from the teams in the six, they\u2019re almost all like six pointers because they\u2019re not getting any advantage and you\u2019re catching them up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got many games like that with Mariners, Melbourne City, and Western all at home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe need to be ready, and hopefully we get the points.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With five of the team\u2019s last seven games at home, Temple has called for the Yellow Fever to turn out in force to get the Nix over the line. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m going to say I had the pleasure of being with the Yellow Fever last week in Auckland. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI know the result wasn\u2019t one the fans wanted, but I was blown away by the support and the noise. I thought it was amazing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m one of them now, so I need them to come down to Porirua Park and make that atmosphere because it is the twelfth man. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt spurs the team on, the energy it gives is just incredible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou can hear everything at Porirua Park, even a bit of stick to the opposition. It all helps, it all counts towards the atmosphere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Complicating matters is a hamstring injury suffered by Grace Jale on international duty with the Football Ferns which has ruled her out for multiple weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s always really frustrating. You feel a bit helpless because it\u2019s out of your hands to a degree. When you get the phone call, it\u2019s pretty gutting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI feel Grace has been playing and has been a key part of what we\u2019re doing, so it\u2019s pretty disappointing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Mackenzie Barry, Annalie Longo, and Manaia Elliott make up the other players who were with the Ferns in Costa Rica. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That group and Lebanon international Tiana Jaber will be worked back into the squad cautiously, but could still feature on Sunday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got some plans to give them a break over the next couple of weeks because I think everybody needs it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTiana got back on our day off on Wednesday, so she\u2019s trained. She\u2019s come back from Asia, where the time difference is not as extreme, so she\u2019ll be fine and she\u2019ll start. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Ferns will arrive back in a few hours into Wellington, so we\u2019ll assess them tonight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cObviously we want them to be playing, they\u2019re all key players for us, but we\u2019ve got seven games and hopefully playoffs to think about as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe don\u2019t want to make a decision this week that would impact us too much for the rest of the season.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, Temple is confident in his squad depth, and has also been boosted by the return of Alyssa Whinham, who missed the trip to Perth with concussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAlyssa\u2019s been good. I don\u2019t think it would have been dangerous for us to play her in Perth but we took a more cautious approach. Since we\u2019ve been back she\u2019s been fully in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cObviously girls that have been in and around the squad, maybe on the bench might be needed to step on and take a starting position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s Amelia, Zoe, Daisy, they might be needed. We\u2019ve got a good squad so I\u2019ve got no problems playing those girls if we need it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n And any frustration around players being away on international duty is matched by the pride he feels seeing them represent their nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI guess when you\u2019re on the inside, you know how much it means to them to play for their country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou can get caught up in club vs country and get frustrated, but it\u2019s also an honour to play for New Zealand. We want our players to love playing for the Ferns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI was so happy for Flea (club captain Annalie Longo). I can\u2019t tell you how many caps she\u2019s got, it\u2019s a lot, but to see her captain her country, it\u2019s an incredible feeling and amazing for her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe had Manaia make her international debut, which is a massive moment in her career and her life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThose are the things to really focus on, and you can\u2019t get caught up in the negatives. It\u2019s a lifelong ambition for these girls.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n The round 17 Ninja A-League match between the Wellington Phoenix and Adelaide United is scheduled to kick-off at Porirua Park in Wellington at 4pm Sunday and will be broadcast LIVE on Sky Sport 3 in New Zealand and on Paramount+ and 10 Play in Australia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/02\/25-02-07-Paul-Temple-2-1.jpg?w=1200\")
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