Massive boost for David Carney and Wollongong Wolves with re-signings

The Mercury can reveal that 10 players have re-committed to the club for next season. In the list includes captain Lachlan Scott, vice-captain Banri Kanaizumi, as well as Marcus Beattie, Ethan Beaven, Harrison Buesnel, Walter Scott, Samuel Riak, Chris McStay, Takumi Ofuka and Jake Trew.

With the proposed 'National Second Tier' on the horizon, it will be different contracts that players will have to sign should they be accepted into the competition. But Carney said that whilst this was the case, the club wanted the playing group to stick together - as did he and the squad - irrespective of the competition.

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"Basically the whole squad wants to go again and from my point of view I want to keep the squad I've got," he said.

"They've been excellent. They're a young team and they've been really starting to gel together. With the boys re-signing it allows me to focus on bringing a few more players in for what we need to really take the team to another level.

"The players they want to play for the shirt and they're enjoying the football here. It's a great family club and it's good to be part of."

Wolves captain Scott - who has been at the club since 2019 after playing for Western Sydney in the A-League - said the team he was part of now was one of his favourites in his career.

"From the start we knew we had a pretty good bunch of guys," the Wolves 2023 top scorer said.

"I think everyone's excited about the direction the club is heading in and I think the playing group just wants to stay together and keep building on what we've done this year.

"We don't have anyone that gets their nose out of joint or anything like that or any cocky players. We're all just focused on working hard for each other and we enjoy each other off the field too so that's a bonus.

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"It's definitely been one of the seasons that I have enjoyed the most in my playing career if not my favourite season yet. I think that we've got the perfect balance between enjoying it and having a good time and really focusing on what where we want to get to as a group and achieve the success that we can."

Following the 3-1 win against Manly last round defender Walter Scott said that he had thoroughly enjoyed his football under Carney in his first season as a coach.

"It's sort of settled all the boys [Carney re-signing]. A few of the guys have been in talks to move forward and it's been really settling for the lads. It's been wicked [playing under Carney]. Former Socceroos left-back, it's a dream for me. Teaching me things I never knew and it's been awesome for my development," he said following the match.

This week in the NPL NSW the Wolves will play Sydney Olympic in a Sunday triple-header. A-League powerhouses Sydney FC and Central Coast will play at 3pm in the Australia Cup before Carney's men play their third-last game of the season and final one in Wollongong.

Following first grade U-20s Wolves and Olympic will play each other to round out the evening.