Soccer: Hooker's career back on the road

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Robbie Hooker had resigned himself to a summer of driving a Sydney taxi when he received the call from the Football Kingz.

Not one to turn his back on a game of football, he handed in the keys and crossed the Tasman.

"They handed me a lifeline," said 34-year-old Hooker, who found himself on soccer's scrapheap when the Canberra Cosmos side folded just days before the start of the NSL season.

"I was grateful for that. Now I would jump at the chance to finish my playing days here.

"I feel I still have one or two seasons of top football left in me. The Kingz have a fantastic set-up."

Hooker was initially signed on a trial basis but has agreed terms for the rest of the season.

Pitched into the team with the worst defensive record in the league, he has played a major part in turning that around.

Hooker, reunited with John Markovski, and playing alongside Jonathan Perry and Sean Douglas, has a key role in a now settled four-man defensive unit.

"It was a bit strange playing alongside Markovski at first," said Hooker, who played 25 internationals for Australia including the ill-fated 1998 World Cup campaign.

"When I played with him in the past I looked up and tried to find him up front with a long ball. Not now. But I feel we are working quite well together.

"It does not surprise me he has adapted so well. He is still a very good player."

Hooker and his old Socceroo team-mate will be together again at North Harbour Stadium tonight when the Kingz play defending champions Wollongong Wolves.

Not surprisingly, Kingz coach Kevin Fallon has stuck with most of the players who held leaders Perth Glory to just one goal last weekend.

In the one forced change - following what Fallon calls Paul Urlovic's "daft" suspension - Jeff Campbell returns to the left midfield role, allowing Andy Vlahos to join Campbell Banks up front.

While still not quite back to full fitness, goalkeeper Michael Theoklitos, one of the season's standouts, will take his place.

Fallon's concern, however, is in his understudy, with James Bannatyne out for the rest of the season with a broken leg.

Fallon is hoping East Coast Bays goalkeeper Scott Bishop will be available as back-up.

In a surprise move, he has named defender Vinko Buljubasic on the substitute's bench.

"He was the best of the reserves in Monday's game and deserves a chance," said Fallon.

How times have changed. Of the Kingz team who played Wollongong in their fifth round 2-2 draw in Wollongong, only Perry, Vlahos, Harry Ngata and Markovski (as a striker) have been named in the starting XI for the match, which kicks off at 7.30 pm.

Football Kingz: Michael Theoklitos, Jonathan Perry, Robbie Hooker, John Markovski, Sean Douglas, Harry Ngata, Chris Jackson (capt), George Goutzioulis, Jeff Campbell, Campbell Banks, Andy Vlahos. Substitutes: Scott Bishop, Craig Wylie, Vinko Buljubasic, Mark Burton.

Wollongong Wolves (likely): Dean Anastasiadis, Alvin Ceccoli, Robert Stanton, David Cervinski, Alex Castro, Stuart Young, Naum Sekulovski, Con Anthopoulos, Ben Blake, Dustin Wells, Greg Sharland. Substitutes: Grant Barlow, George Souris, Zeljko Babic, Harvey Rodriguez.