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The two rather than three-round New Zealand Football Championship could be here to stay.
Trimmed back to two rounds (14 matches instead of 21) as a cost-cutting measure this season when some clubs threatened to walk away, the league could continue with the same format.
New Zealand Football chairman Frank van Hattum says a decision is some way off but shies away from suggestions there may not be a competition at all next summer.
"It is not a bad competition, especially when you look at where it is now. We have had two exciting rounds and go into the last matches this weekend with six of the eight teams still in contention for the play-offs," he said.
"But what happens in future is still up in the air. We are undertaking a thorough review. Everything, including the timing of the competition, is on the table. From what I am hearing, everyone is keen for the NZFC to continue. We have to find a worthy representative for the O-League and I don't know how we would do that without a competition like this.
"We will be sitting down with the clubs and listening to what they have to say," said van Hattum. "If they told us there was no money for them to continue, which meant we did not have the necessary support to carry on, we would have to look at next season."
Principal sponsor the Southern Trust has yet to commit itself to another season. Van Hattum estimates the championship carries a $750,000 pricetag of which the greatest proportion is travel costs.
About the decision whether New Zealand will have one or two teams in the next O-League, van Hattum remains confident the status quo will remain with the Oceania executive to give the nod at their May meeting.
Tomorrow's 14th-round matches will go some way to finding a second team - should two New Zealand teams be involved - to join Waitakere United in the 2009-10 O-League.
On form there will be no change in the top four with Waitakere, already confirmed as runaway winners, Auckland City, YoungHeart Manawatu and Team Wellington progressing.
Manawatu have the biggest challenge - home to Waitakere.
Hawkes Bay United could be the wildcard. At home in the early game, they should beat Otago which would put the pressure on Team Wellington, who meet Waikato at Newtown Park with both needing to win to progress.
