Netball: Broughton to take players for new Pulse job

Robyn Broughton. Photo / Getty Images

The confirmation that former Steel coach Robyn Broughton will be in charge of the Central Pulse next season has dramatically altered the landscape of the transtasman league player recruitment market.

Broughton - whose move to the Pulse was predicted in the Herald yesterday - parted ways with the Steel after the head coaching role was advertised at the end of the season and she refused to reapply for her position.

While the Steel management were upfront about their reasons for advertising the role and told Broughton of their intention to do so in January, the veteran coach decided she did not want to be a part of the Steel's new strategic direction.

She was replaced by New Zealand under-21 coach Janine Southby and former Australian international Natalie Avellino, but it is believed some key players are unhappy with the new appointments.

They have refused to communicate with Steel management as they try to go about recontracting players for next season. It is thought several players will now follow Broughton to the Pulse, including Silver Ferns midcourter Liana Leota and experienced defender Erika Burgess.

But Broughton was yesterday playing down suggestions the Pulse would get an influx of players from the Steel.

"That would be their decision, but certainly I know I would welcome any of them, and I know the Pulse would be very pleased," she said. "It's up to the girls. They need to play, and there's only five franchises."

Pulse chief executive Chris McNay admitted part of the appeal of signing Broughton was the loyalty she elicits from her players and the likelihood that several long-serving Steel players would be prepared to follow their mentor to the capital.

"Absolutely that was all in the mix. She gets an incredible amount of loyalty from her team and I think that can only help our roster for next season, really."

Leota will certainly be a welcome addition to the Pulse midcourt, where she would likely pair up with future Fern Camilla Lees.

But it is questionable whether the likes of Burgess and Wendy Frew offer anything more than incumbents Cushla Lichtwark and Daya Pritchard. If Broughton took these players with her out of spite for her former employers, it could come at the expense of the livelihoods of these Wellington netball stalwarts, which would likely result in a strong backlash from local netball identities.

But McNay insists the current squad wouldn't be left out in the cold.

"It won't happen from my point of view. Our team this year is on the up and I'm wanting to show some loyalty to our team as they've showed to us. But we'll also get some new players coming in. It's always a balancing act, really."

It was initially thought Gail Parata, the assistant coach of the Wellington-based side for the past two seasons, would step in to the head coaching role left vacant by Yvette McCausland-Durie.

But when Broughton showed late interest in the Pulse job the decision became less straightforward for the board. McNay said they went with Broughton, one of New Zealand's most successful coaches, because of her "history and mana".

The news that the Pulse are likely to snap up several of the Steel stars has ramped up the urgency in the player recruitment market.

It was originally thought the Canterbury Tactix would be the most likely beneficiaries of the player exodus at the Steel, with new coach Leigh Gibbs expected to attract some up-and-coming players.

The Magic and Mystics are also believed to be chasing Leana de Bruin. But in the Steel's favour is that they have plenty of dollars to throw around. With the support of their community backers the Southern franchise can offer players up to three times more what they would get at other teams and will be aggressively pursuing some of New Zealand netball's top names.

The Steel are also privately optimistic of securing a good core of their 2011 squad, including de Bruin, Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit and Sheryl Scanlan in the defence end, Australian import Natasha Chokljat in the midcourt and Paula Griffin and former Silver Fern Jodi Brown in the shooting end.