Lake Macquarie coach Josh Rufo and his players have declared they will forfeit match payments this Northern NSW NPL season to help get the Roosters on the pitch.
Northern NSW Football is working towards a potential start to the region's top men's soccer competition in July but the likelihood of playing without crowds because of continuing COVID-19 restrictions has caused concern among clubs about the financial consequences.
NPL clubs rely on match-day revenue and sponsors, many of whom have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, to help fund payments to senior players.
Clubs are therefore working with their players about revised agreements to reflect the new landscape.
Rufo, who is debuting in the NPL as a coach, said the Roosters squad had come together to put the club first.
"A couple of weeks ago, once we heard the season could be back on the cards, I met with the club and they identified there might be some issues with sponsors and other monies," Rufo said.
"I had a good chat with the leadership group, then the rest of the players, and the whole playing group, and the coaches, my brother and I, there's no match payments. Everybody is on board."
Lake Macquarie's top side have finished seventh, eighth then ninth since returning to an expanded, 11-team first division in 2017. Last season they finished just one point above the wooden spoon.
Rufo and his brother Daniel, the reserve grade coach and first-grade assistant, have had to rebuild the squad after the departure of several senior players.
Like the coaches, many recruits have made the jump from second division for the challenge and Rufo hoped the early show of solidarity was a sign of things to come.
"Everyone just wants to play and, I guess, just showcase their talent," he said.
"Everyone wants to put the club first, so we're happy with that and hopefully it will turn into some positives once we get back playing."
"Realistically, we are tracking really well. We have a good group of people and players and from my end, this is just another good sign that the collectively have bought in to what we are trying to do at the club. Everyone is just looking forward to the challenge.
"Every current player and every player we added, we were very clear that it's a club-first, team-first approach, so we're all good to go."
Rufo said the club could lose "one or two players" who had "been impacted probably more heavily than others with employment" during the COVID-19 shutdown, "but at this stage everyone is committed and has agreed to play".
The game nationwide was suspended in mid-March, just days out from the start of the NNSW NPL season, because of COVID-19. NNSWF has asked the 10 NPL clubs for feedback on a potential competition played behind closed doors, which will almost certainly require players to accept pay cuts.
"It is a tough one, but at the end of the day, the clubs have to realise the game is more important," Rufo said.
"There's lots of kids, lots of fans involved, lots of people who just want to play soccer, so it might be a tough conversation, but once they have it, it's probably in the best interests of all the clubs just to get back playing again."
Meanwhile, Charlestown Azzurri announced on Tuesday the signing of former Jets Youth centre-back Zac Bailey, who has returned from playing with Purdue University Fort Wayne in the US.
