Nik Mrdja is back!

Central Coast Mariners 3 v 0 Wellington Phoenix

I sat down to watch this game at 8pm on a Friday night. It still feels great to watch live Aussie football in the evening in Australia.

Even a New Zealand side, although how long that will last I don't know.

I was expecting the Mariners to thump the Phoenix, and after 35 minutes the Mariners were 3-0 up!

People speak highly of New Zealand Coach Ricky Herbert, like they do about Ron Smith at Perth Glory, both had chances to build their own teams. I expected both to get thumped this weekend and the Phoenix didn't let me down.

Ricky Herbert has bought poorly. Too many New Zealanders? I don't think so. It's the Brazilians and Australians that are letting the side down.

Ross Aloisi, and Michael Ferrante in midfield were poor. Stephen O'Dor at right back was exposed, badly exposed by the pace of Dean Heffernan, and Adam Kwasnik. And the Brazilians, Daniel, and Cleberson were both disappointing.

Herbert has got them playing, like well, how we've come to expect New Zealand teams to play. And let's face it they should have been thumped by Melbourne last week.

Was this the worse performance by a New Zealand side in the A-League? Pretty close.

It wasn't so much that they were bad that concerned me, it was their lack of ability to spot where the danger was coming from time and time again.

The table topping Mariners were different class.

Nik Mrdja scored two, Adam Kwasnik one, and Sasho Petrovski, and Mile Jedinak were all impressive going forward.

Mrdja has started the season on fire. Looking strong and fit, he unleashed a tremendous drive to beat Glen Moss from close range. Heffernan and Kwasnik had exposed the suspect Kiwi defence.

Mrdja showed he was more than just a finisher when he dragged a few men deep and swung a great ball to last season's top scorer Adam Kwasnik.

As if to show the pressure of leading the line last season has disappeared, Kwasnik superbly curved his first chance with the outside of his foot past keeper Moss.

2-0 after 15 minutes and it was getting embarrassing. Mrdja scored another and Simon Hill and Robbie Slater from Fox Sports talked kindly of this New Zealand being different, somehow better, than previous NZ sides.

But five goals conceded in two games tell's a different story.

The Mariners look strong up front and they have an all new strike force in Mrdja and Petrovski. The goals are flowing and teams which score consistently in this league will do well. Adelaide United and Melbourne Victory have scored at will in previous seasons and they have surely being the best sides.

Could the Mariners be about to set the pace this season? I think so.

They may not always be the prettiest but they are strong powerful running side, well organized with skill in key areas.

If they stay fit it will take a strong performance to beat them.

Mariners are five points ahead of the chasing pack.