Wellington Phoenix captain Andrew Durante rates this preseason as the best the club has had.

Few football teams want to lose, but having an expectation you will win every contest comes much harder.

Such expectations are pushed by individuals who have won championships.

In previous seasons, the Wellington Phoenix had just two A-League grand final winners: captain Andrew Durante and midfielder Michael McGlinchey.

Now they have doubled that number with the addition of title-winning Melbourne Victory pair Kosta Barbarouses and Gui Finkler, while former Serie A defender Marco Rossi has arrived from the pressure cooker that is Italian football.

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For Durante, it all adds up to what he feels has been the team's best preseason in years.

"When you bring in players like Kosta and Gui who have won things, and Marco has played at the top level in football, they are winners and they have already brought that winning mentality.

"They hate losing games and that's what we're all trying to improve on over here, that hatred of losing and wanting to win even small-sided games at training.

"It's got to be competitive and it's really stepped up and I think that's why I'm really enjoying myself, the competitive nature of everyone at the moment is very strong."

Phoenix coach Ernie Merrick has also noticed a shift in intensity, even with five weeks to go until the season begins.

"The players we had have a really good attitude to winning, but bringing in the experience of Rossi, Kosta, Gui Finkler, these boys have all achieved results at other clubs, two of them have won championships.

"We're bringing in quality players and experience and they'll only improve the culture, because we need to have that winning philosophy and go out and approach every game like we're out there to win, home or away."

That continues on Saturday at Weka Park in Waikanae, when they take on a Central League selection team which would form a decent national football championship outfit.

The squad travels to Townsville next week for a camp and a match against their A-League first-round opponents Melbourne City, before heading down to Sydney for a match against Central Coast Mariners.

The matches would provide preparation for when they lose players to the All Whites for their first regular season match against City on October 8, Merrick said.

"We need to have cover and hopefully some notice from the national coach who he's going to use so we can plan to have cover.

"That's what we're planning for when we go to Townsville...then down to Sydney - we'll be looking at the options that we have with the anticipated All Whites being away."

Front of Merrick's mind is also finding replacements for departed right back Manny Muscat and midfielder Albert Riera.

"We intend to sign a right back, we just haven't got the right person yet.

"We'd like to have another midfielder but not necessarily a like for like for Albert Riera because this is probably the best preseason I've seen from Vince Lia, young Matt Ridenton has been exceptional in his development and Alex Rodriguez is pushing very hard for a role in midfield."

Also at Weka Park on Saturday, the Kapiti Coast United football club will be hosting a Shave For A Cure event in support of committee member Tony Smith, who is battling leukaemia.

So far the club has raised more than $6450, ranking them second in New Zealand for a community 'shave' event.