Reading comments in the AW game threads there seems to be the consensus that Hudson took a second string (his mates?) side to Russia. Looking at players actually available for us, who would you take in a squad of 23?
Me:
Keepers: Gleeson, Moss, Marinovic,
Defenders: Reid (Capt.) Durante, Smith, M. Boxall, Themi, Roux, Doyle, Wynne,
Midfielders: WeeMac, Tuiloma, Reira, James, Lewis, Thomas, Judas II and III (Rojas, Barbs)
Forwards: Wood, Judas I, II & III (Smeltz, Rojas, Barbs) Brockie, Boyd
Some of these guys are injured (James and maybe Themi) and I have a feeling that there is ill feeling between James and Boyd with NZF/Hudson and I personally don't want to see Wynne get any closer then a bench spot, but outside of Fitzgerald these are the best kiwis I feel we will have available by playoff time if Reira gets sorted.
Hard to suggest he took a second-string in any sense.
Gleeson and Boyd (and even then, no one's seen him play for two years) would be the only two glaring omissions. Maybe Brockie, depending how you feel about him, and he's rather polarising.
And then, there are reasons. With Marinovic clearly the No 1, Gleeson being there or not is rather moot. Boyd turned down a callup last year, or so we are told. Given how little Smeltz is offering at this stage, Brockie might be worth a look, especially as the coach himself said this week he's only got "one striker".
Albert Riera as an All White has been a fantasy for years and nothing more. Come back to me when he says he wants to be one and can be one.
James has never been in the frame, rightly or wrongly, under this regime, so a bit late now.
Most baffling issues come in starting vs bench - why Colvey/Ingham over Roux and why didn't Themi or Tuiloma get starts.
