FORMER Gold Coast United free spirit Ben Halloran has been told he must become a team player to regain his spot in Brisbane Roar's starting side.

Reduced to a bench role in recent weeks, Halloran made a telling contribution during his second-half cameo on Saturday, scoring the decisive goal in Brisbane's much-needed 1-0 away win over Adelaide United.

It is unlikely to be enough to force his way back into Roar coach Mike Mulvey's starting team plans for Saturday night's clash with the Ange Postecoglou-coached Melbourne Victory at Suncorp Stadium.

Mulvey has been pleased with former fullback Ivan Franjic's form since switching him to the right wing spot previously occupied by Halloran, who has failed to live up to the hype since moving to Brisbane from the now defunct Gold Coast club.

"He was a big fish in a little pond at Gold Coast United, and he's a small fish in a bigger pond at Brisbane Roar now," Mulvey, who also coached Halloran at the Coast franchise, said.

"There is competition for places now. He needs to learn to link up with his teammates, more so than being an individual.

"He needs to fit into the Roar style, which is possession-based, attacking football."

Mulvey said Halloran, 20, had suffered under the pressure of being expected to continue the stellar form he showed at the Gold Coast.

"Sometimes you can heap too much expectation on a young player," Mulvey said.

Halloran was named in a preliminary Socceroos squad made of mostly of A-League players for last December's East Asian Cup qualifiers, before being cut when the squad was trimmed.

"A lot did happen very early on for Ben," Mulvey said.

"His rise to prominence at Gold Coast United, his transfer to the A-League champions, and also his ascension into the Socceroos squad."

Roar officials yesterday denied The Courier-Mail's request to speak to Halloran, saying "he was not comfortable doing media".

The Roar's hopes of finishing in the top six received a boost yesterday, with both Melbourne Heart and Newcastle Jets losing.

The Heart's poor away form continued when they were beaten 1-0 by battlers Wellington Phoenix, while an under-strength Jets side was routed 5-0 by Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park.

With four rounds of the regular season remaining, the Roar are sixth, a point ahead of the Heart and Sydney FC but two adrift of the Jets.

Victory moved back into outright third with their win.

Originally published as Halloran put in his place