The New Zealand international defender believes adding another Kiwi team is a viable prospect in the long-term.

"You've got the two teams in Melbourne and maybe another team in Sydney. If you had another team in New Zealand that rivalry, which is something everyone wants in sport, would be cool," he said.

"I don't know where, maybe Christchurch, because it would be hard to go back to Auckland again. I think it's some way off just yet but it would be something good in the future."

Following the failures of previous New Zealand sides – the Knights and Kingz – there were plenty who were sceptical about Phoenix at the start of the 2007/08 season.

But Lochhead, who alongside Daniel played in the side's first ever match – a 2-2 draw with Melbourne Victory, believes the doubters have been won over, particularly after last year's run to the preliminary final.

"When we first came in we had the old stigma of the Knights and Kingz which was fair enough because those didn't do well," Lochhead said.

"They weren't well supported and weren't well run. But we've proved them wrong and we've earned a lot of respect over in Australia to be fair."

There is no doubt the expectation of Wellington and New Zealand football fans have risen in the past four years, something Lochhead welcomes.

"We should be making the play-offs and we probably should be further up the table than we are," he said." You don't want to be predicted to be coming last all the time. It's good to have that pressure.

"Obviously we want to get the title and we've got the chance to win the title. It's just a matter of having the complete season and getting those points on the road."

And that has been the crux of the problem for the Phoenix in the past three seasons – winning away from their Westpac Stadium fortress.

Certainly they could do with getting something out of the games away at Adelaide United and Sydney FC on Saturday and Wednesday respectively as the race for the top six goes down to the wire.

Phoenix are sixth on 35 points with three games to go and have Melbourne Heart (33), Newcastle Jets (31) and Sydney (29) chasing hard.

Lochhead added: "It would be nice if we could pick up a win (in the next two games) that would definitely help. But a point here or there would put us in the right direction."