Squad complete, identity clearer: how Wellington Phoenix are shaping up for their 20th A-League season

After a long off-season rebuild, the Wellington Phoenix finally have something close to a complete picture of what Chris Greenacre’s first full season in charge will look like.

The deadline-day additions of American attacking midfielder Bryce Duke and Australian defender Walter Scott have taken the Phoenix to a 21-player contracted squad for the 2026/27 A-League Men season. Their arrivals came only two days after Scottish midfielder Max Anderson joined from Crawley Town and completed a late recruitment push that has significantly changed the complexion of the team.

It is not simply a matter of adding numbers. Wellington have replaced their leading goalscorer, changed goalkeeper, lost one of the most experienced defenders in the club’s history and moved away from several attacking midfielders who were regulars last season. At the same time, the type of players brought in suggests Greenacre has been constructing a squad specifically for the system he began implementing after taking over from Giancarlo Italiano in February.

The result is a Phoenix side that looks deeper through the centre of the pitch, has several different options at striker and appears increasingly suited to a narrow formation in which the fullbacks will be responsible for providing much of the width.

The final pieces arrive

Bryce Duke is perhaps the most revealing of the late additions. The 25-year-old has spent his entire senior career in North America, representing Los Angeles FC, Inter Miami, CF Montréal and most recently San Diego FC. He brings extensive MLS experience to Wellington and arrives specifically to fill the creative midfield role Greenacre had been seeking.

The Phoenix coach has highlighted Duke’s technical quality, creativity and ability to unlock defensive lines with his passing. Those characteristics matter because Wellington lost Ramy Najjarine, Sander Kartum and Sarpreet Singh during the off-season, while Luke Brooke-Smith’s move to Portsmouth removed another player capable of advancing the ball individually.

Duke is not arriving after a season of heavy football, however. His playing time for San Diego in the 2026 MLS season was limited, so his first weeks in Wellington may be as much about building rhythm and familiarity as adapting to a new league. His overall experience nevertheless provides Greenacre with something that was still visibly missing from the squad at the beginning of September: a specialist attacking midfielder capable of receiving between the lines and creating rather than simply carrying the ball forward.

Walter Scott addresses a different issue. The 26-year-old spent the 2019/20 season with Wellington before rebuilding his career in Australia and eventually making 49 appearances for Macarthur across A-League and continental competition. He was also part of their Australia Cup-winning squad in 2024.

Scott returns as considerably more than the inexperienced backup to Liberato Cacace that left Wellington six years ago. He can compete with James McGarry at left back while also providing cover elsewhere across the defence. That versatility becomes particularly useful in a squad that has lost Tim Payne, whose transfer to Paraguayan giants Club Olimpia removed 149 matches of Phoenix experience from the right side of the backline.

Max Anderson, meanwhile, offers another profile Greenacre did not previously possess in abundance. The 25-year-old Scot describes himself as a box-to-box midfielder, and his career supports that description. After coming through Dundee and making 94 first-team appearances for the club, Anderson spent two seasons with Crawley Town. He played 39 League One matches in 2024/25 and another 20 in League Two last season, contributing two goals and an assist in the latter campaign.

He is unlikely to be Wellington’s primary creative source. His value should instead come through running, physical presence, supporting attacks and covering ground when the team loses possession. In that sense, Anderson could prove particularly compatible with both Alex Rufer and Fin Roa Conchie.

A much bigger rebuild than it first appeared

Wellington are coming from an eighth-place finish in 2025/26, but even that final position does not fully explain how turbulent the campaign became.

Italiano resigned after the 5-0 home defeat to Auckland FC in February, leaving Greenacre to take control of a side whose season appeared to be collapsing. The former Phoenix striker produced four victories from his eight matches in charge and briefly revived Wellington’s finals chances, including a three-game winning streak and a notable 1-0 victory away to Melbourne Victory.

There were still reminders of the work required. Melbourne City beat the Nix 2-0 and the campaign finished with a poor 4-0 defeat at Macarthur. Nevertheless, Greenacre had shown enough to earn the permanent position and, more importantly for the coming season, had begun changing the way the team played.

The subsequent turnover has been considerable. Ifeanyi Eze departed after scoring 10 league goals and sharing the player of the season award with Rufer. Payne left for Olimpia. Josh Oluwayemi, Paulo Retre, Carlo Armiento, Manjrekar James, Dan Edwards, Luke Supyk and Nikola Mileusnic were among those released, while Najjarine, Kartum and Singh also moved on. Brooke-Smith, one of the most exciting young players produced by the club in recent years, was transferred to Portsmouth.

In their place have come James McGarry, Henry Gray, Rafael Durán, Riley Bidois, Anderson, Scott and Duke. Rufer, Kazuki Nagasawa and Roa Conchie have also been retained, giving Greenacre an experienced central core around which to work.

McGarry is an important part of that reconstruction. The 28-year-old returns after starting 24 of Brisbane Roar’s 26 league games last season, scoring once and registering three assists. His comments upon signing were especially revealing: Greenacre had spoken to him about having the freedom to advance down the left and deliver balls into the attacking area. That gives an early indication of where much of Wellington’s width may come from.

How deep is this Phoenix squad?

Goalkeeper is probably the most open position. Henry Gray has returned on loan from Ipswich Town after several years developing in England, while Alby Kelly-Heald and Eamonn McCarron remain at the club. McCarron made six A-League appearances last season despite beginning the campaign outside the contracted first-team group and produced clean sheets away to Brisbane and Sydney.

There is talent there, but not an established veteran number one. Gray has international age-group experience and time in the English system, Kelly-Heald has A-League experience and McCarron has already demonstrated that he can handle senior football at 18. Greenacre and returning goalkeeper coach Paul Gothard therefore have genuine competition for the position, although whichever option emerges will still be relatively inexperienced compared with many starting goalkeepers around the league.

The defensive depth looks considerably more flexible. Bill Tuiloma and Isaac Hughes can form the central partnership, with Lukas Kelly-Heald providing a naturally left-sided alternative. McGarry and Scott give Wellington two senior left-back options, while Kelly-Heald can also play there. Matt Sheridan is the most natural candidate on the right after Payne’s departure, with Xuan Loke another option and Scott’s versatility potentially providing emergency cover. Young Jayden Smith further increases the numbers.

The loss of Payne should not be underestimated. Wellington have replaced the depth around his position, but replacing his accumulated experience is a different challenge. Sheridan has been developing towards this opportunity for several years and Greenacre regularly used him at right back while coaching in the academy system. The coming season could therefore represent the point at which the 22-year-old is asked to establish himself rather than merely cover several positions.

Midfield may be where the squad has changed most dramatically. Rufer remains the captain and reference point, Nagasawa was the only Phoenix player to start all 26 league matches last season and finished with three goals and four assists, while Roa Conchie has specifically spoken about returning permanently to his preferred number six role.

Anderson now supplies the running power around them, Duke adds a genuine attacking midfielder and Anaru Cassidy gives Greenacre another young central option. There are combinations available for different situations: Rufer and Anderson could offer a balance between control and mobility, Rufer and Roa Conchie could provide a more positional pairing, while Anderson’s legs could allow either of the deeper midfielders to be rested without completely changing the team’s structure.

Further forward, Wellington have replaced one 10-goal striker with several different possibilities rather than a direct copy.

Rafael Durán is expected to operate primarily as a number nine after spending much of last season out wide for Macarthur. He still recorded four goals and two assists in 24 appearances and has described himself as a mobile striker who prefers running behind defenders rather than permanently occupying the penalty area.

Riley Bidois provides almost the opposite profile. The returning academy graduate developed into a physical focal point during his time in the United States. He produced nine goals for Loudoun United in 2025 and had already scored four times in the USL Championship for Monterey Bay this year before returning to Wellington on loan. His ability to occupy centre-backs, compete for direct balls and hold possession gives Greenacre a traditional reference point in attack.

Then there is Corban Piper. One of the clearest tactical changes after Greenacre took charge last season was Piper’s conversion into a regular striker alongside Eze. Rather than treating him merely as a utility player, Greenacre used his physicality, movement and willingness to contest difficult balls to disrupt defenders. Nathan Walker completes the attacking group and can give Wellington another more mobile option.

The challenge is obvious: Eze’s 10 goals have disappeared. The positive is that Wellington no longer appear dependent on one particular type of striker.

A 4-2-2-2 built around central numbers?

Greenacre has not committed himself publicly to one fixed formation for the new season, but his eight games in charge last year and the profile of the recruitment provide considerable clues.

Italiano had frequently used three centre-backs and wingbacks. Greenacre simplified the defensive structure, moved to two centre-backs and generally used a back four. More significantly, Piper was pushed into attack alongside Eze rather than being retained as a wide defensive player.

That structure often resembled a 4-2-2-2 or narrow 4-4-2, and the current squad may actually be better constructed for it than the one Greenacre inherited.

A possible first-choice team could have Gray or Alby Kelly-Heald in goal; Sheridan, Tuiloma, Hughes and McGarry across the defence; Rufer alongside Anderson in central midfield; Duke and Nagasawa operating in the two inside attacking positions; and Durán partnered by either Bidois or Piper.

Roa Conchie could easily force his way into that midfield, particularly if Greenacre wants a specialist holding player. Scott provides serious competition for McGarry and extra defensive flexibility, while switching between Bidois and Piper changes the nature of the forward line without requiring the formation to change.

The attraction of such a system is what it could do centrally. Duke and Nagasawa can occupy the spaces between opposing fullbacks and centre-backs rather than being asked to stay wide. Rufer can organise possession behind them, Anderson can make forward runs from deeper areas and two strikers can occupy both centre-backs simultaneously.

Durán could be especially interesting in that structure. If Bidois or Piper comes towards the ball and engages one defender, Durán has the speed and movement to attack the space created beyond them. Duke’s passing becomes particularly useful in exactly those moments.

The width would instead come from McGarry and Sheridan — or Scott — advancing from fullback. McGarry was explicitly recruited with the freedom to attack the left side, and having two narrow attacking midfielders creates the space for the fullbacks to overlap outside them.

There is a trade-off. If both fullbacks advance simultaneously, Wellington will need Rufer, Anderson or Roa Conchie to protect the spaces left behind. Opponents with dangerous wide transitions could target those channels. The lack of several natural senior wingers also means the Phoenix may have to change personnel or structure if a match demands someone holding the touchline and consistently beating a defender one-on-one.

That is one reason Duke is such an important signing. Without him, Nagasawa would have carried a large proportion of the responsibility for connecting midfield and attack. With both available, Wellington can potentially place one creative player in each half-space and make it much harder for opponents simply to close the centre.

Out of possession, the same shape can become a conventional 4-4-2. The two forwards can direct opposition build-up towards the outside while Duke and Nagasawa recover alongside the central midfield pair. Greenacre’s comments since taking over have repeatedly stressed organisation, work rate and bravery both with and without the ball, rather than possession simply for its own sake.

When appointed permanently, he made his attacking intentions clear: “I want to see an exciting brand of football where we create a lot of opportunities going forward.”

The squad he now has suggests that will mean attacking with numbers through the centre rather than returning to the wingback-heavy structure of the previous regime.

What can the friendlies tell us?

Pre-season results require particular caution this year because Wellington’s squad has been assembled relatively late.

The first reported senior hit-out ended in a 6-2 win over Wellington Olympic in August. The sides met again publicly at NZCIS on September 5 and produced a very different result, drawing 0-0.

On the surface, going from six goals against Olympic to none may appear strange, but neither game provides a clean picture of the team that will start the A-League. The first took place before Durán had properly joined the group. The second provided supporters with their first public look at the Mexican striker, but Bidois had only just returned to the club, Anderson was still nine days away from being announced and Duke and Scott would not become Phoenix players until September 16.

In other words, Wellington’s final attacking structure has not yet been publicly tested together.

That matters even more because 2026 is the first year Wellington have been excluded from the Australia Cup. Instead of having competitive knockout matches during the winter, Greenacre has been able to conduct a longer and more controlled pre-season, but at the expense of meaningful competitive football.

The 0-0 with Olympic therefore should neither be dismissed nor treated as an indication that Wellington will struggle to score. It showed that the work in possession is not finished. It also came before the arrival of the player specifically recruited to solve the lack of creativity in central areas.

The more revealing part of pre-season will be what happens once Anderson, Duke and Scott are integrated and Greenacre can field something close to his intended starting side against stronger opposition.

The questions that will define Wellington’s season

There is considerably more positional balance than there appeared to be even a month ago, but several questions remain.

The first is goals. Eze reached double figures last season and Wellington need to replace that production. Durán has the profile to improve upon the four goals he scored at Macarthur now that he is back in his preferred position, while Bidois arrives after becoming a more accomplished striker in the United States. Piper gives Greenacre another trusted option. Whether that becomes enough production across an entire A-League season will be one of the central stories of the campaign.

The second is how quickly Duke becomes the creative reference Wellington expect him to be. His recent MLS minutes have been limited, but his background is unusual for a Phoenix signing and the squad appears specifically designed to give him central areas in which to operate.

The third concerns the right side of defence. Payne had become almost automatic when available. Sheridan now has an opportunity to make the role his own, but he and Loke will be asked to replace a player who had accumulated seven seasons of understanding with Rufer and the rest of the Phoenix defensive unit.

Then there is goalkeeper. Wellington may have three credible candidates but they do not have an established A-League number one entering the season. That competition could produce a breakthrough player, but it remains an area where certainty has to be earned on the pitch.

A revealing start to the 20th season

The Phoenix will not have long to establish those relationships once the competition begins.

Their 20th A-League season opens at Hnry Stadium against Melbourne Victory on October 18, deliberately echoing the opponent from the club’s first-ever league match in 2007. Central Coast Mariners then visit Wellington one week later before the Nix travel to Newcastle.

The first New Zealand derby arrives quickly, with Wellington visiting Auckland FC in matchweek four, followed by a home match against Macarthur.

That opening sequence should reveal much more than the local pre-season games. Two home matches give Greenacre an immediate opportunity to establish the type of football he has been talking about, while Newcastle away and the derby at Go Media Stadium will test how well the more aggressive fullback structure works outside Wellington.

The Phoenix squad entering 2026/27 does not look like one built around a single headline signing. Instead, the recruitment has gradually filled specific functions.

Durán provides movement behind defences. Bidois gives them a focal point. Anderson supplies midfield energy. Duke brings the passing and creativity between the lines. McGarry offers attacking width from fullback. Scott provides experience and flexibility. Gray creates competition in goal.

Around them remain Rufer, Nagasawa, Tuiloma, Hughes, Roa Conchie and a significant group of academy-developed New Zealand players who already understand the club.

That may ultimately be the most important difference from a year ago. Wellington finished last season searching for a structure after Greenacre inherited someone else’s squad. He now enters his first full campaign with a group increasingly shaped around his own ideas.

The final pieces have arrived. The next question is how quickly they can become one team.

A small research caveat: I deliberately did not include a result for the proposed Upper Hutt City first-team friendly. I found contemporary reporting that it was scheduled, but I could not verify a reliable senior Phoenix result, and the readily available 1-2 result on August 29 involved the Phoenix reserves in the Central League, not Greenacre’s A-League side.