Stefan Smith

Striker - Auckland City
25 Oct 2026
Sunday
Process

Marked for Stefan Smith

10 Edition

The Hawke's Bay United Courier

5 Oct 2026
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Deklan Singh damages knee ligaments — 66 days out

The words a physio says slowly. 66 days is what the club will announce and everybody who has heard this diagnosis before knows the number is the least of it: the knee comes back before the player does.

Squad

Khanyisani Malinga is a better footballer than he was

Not a run of form — an actual step up, held for months. At 22 he is doing things at this level he could not do at the start of the season, and the coaching staff will tell you exactly which of them.

Squad

Anderson Pico signs on for more

“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” Anderson Pico and Hawke's Bay United agree another 2 years.

Squad

Clayton Colvey in a row with a teammate

It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Hawke's Bay United this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

Market

Hawke's Bay United and Oliver Barnes are talking past each other

“There is a gap, and pretending there is not helps nobody.” Neither side has moved, and the calendar is working for exactly one of them.

Loan watch

Stefan Smith has seen enough of Auckland City

“I am grateful for the games, but I did not become a footballer to be somebody else's spare part.” He wants to be at Hawke's Bay United, and 0 appearances in 5 say he has earned the hearing.

In brief

Back issues
6 Edition

The Auckland City Post

7 Sep 2026
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Gerard Garriga breaks a bone — 124 days out

Brutal, unambiguous and, for all the horror of the moment, usually less career-shaped than the ligament everybody fears more. 124 days, a clean timeline, and a return date somebody can actually plan around.

Market

Reon Werahiko hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Auckland City can pretend not to have heard.

Squad

Tempers go at Auckland City

David Yoo was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

In brief

4 Edition

The Hawke's Bay United Courier

24 Aug 2026
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Deklan Singh damages knee ligaments — 108 days out

The words a physio says slowly. 108 days is what the club will announce and everybody who has heard this diagnosis before knows the number is the least of it: the knee comes back before the player does.

Market

Ben Singh asks to leave Hawke's Bay United

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

Matt Garbett in a row with a teammate

It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Hawke's Bay United this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.

In brief