Priorities: Tony Walmsley said entertainment was paramount. Credit:Getty Images Although this is not the first time the club has been late with payments, the dressing room has been united enough to avoid any large-scale departures. That appears to no longer be the case at the four-time grand finalists. Underlining the extent of the problem is that some of the players have decided to leave the area and have either moved to Sydney or are contemplating doing so. Previously, every Mariners' player was expected to live on the Central Coast. Players would ordinarily be unable to leave their clubs mid-contract but a stipulation of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement means they can become free agents if clubs do not meet their contractual obligations, such as paying wages, entitlements and bonuses on time. Brisbane Roar star Luke Brattan was able to exercise this clause in August, securing a legal release from his contract and going on to join English Premier League club Manchester City, who subsequently loaned him to Championship side Bolton Wanderers.

It won't be the first time the Mariners have lost players mid-contact either, with an operational change at the club – little more than a switch of ownership – allowing Michael McGlinchey to break his deal, on a technicality, to join Wellington Phoenix. The Mariners are last in the A-League with just one win, having gone winless since the opening day of the season. Going into the season, the club promised to play attacking, entertaining football. However, they have conceded 23 goals in just 10 games, five more than any other club. Despite the poor season, the Mariners have consistently fielded the youngest sides in the competition and have several players who will be of interest to other clubs in the second half of the campaign. Midfielders Anthony Caceres, Liam Rose and Anthony Kalik will surely attract offers, as could Mitch Austin, who has impressed as a flying left winger. Right-back Storm Roux would be a prized commodity, while forward Nick Fitzgerald may consider his options.

Probably the Mariners' best two players, Roy O'Donovan and Fabio Ferreira, may be inclined to stay as they are among the higher-paid players. The club has already parted company with its two most senior players, goalkeeper Liam Reddy and defender Eddy Bosnar, who fell out with Mariners manager Tony Walmsley. Walmsley has been hamstrung by a lack of available funds from owner Mike Charlesworth, but whispers of discontent in the dressing room early in the season have continued to plague the embattled club. However, Walmsley has the complete support of Charlesworth, who made the dramatic claim earlier in the year that he would not judge his manager on wins and losses, but on how entertainingly they played. "I think I am probably the only one out there who is willing to say it publicly, but the reality is that we are in the entertainment industry and for me that overrides results at this stage," he said in an interview with The World Game.