Netball: Franchises facing tense wait

By JULIE ASH

Is the axe about to fall on three national league teams?

That is the question troubling the franchises as Netball New Zealand prepares to announce the future of the National Bank Cup.

A review of the competition has been completed and the Netball NZ board board is expected to reveal its findings this week.

Although the review analyses the past six years of the league, it also looks to the future where there is plenty of interest in whether there are plans to reduce the number of teams.

At the moment there are nine teams. There were 10 when the competition was introduced in 1998, but Waikato and the Bay of Plenty amalgamated in 1999 and formed Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic.

The idea of cutting the number of teams to six has been suggested, as has introducing Australian teams into the competition. If the league is reduced to six it will mean three teams will have to be axed.

The most likely candidates are the Counties Manukau Cometz, the Western Flyers and either North Harbour's Force - who the Southern Sting beat in Friday night's cup final 51-49 - or the Auckland Diamonds.There may be room for only one Auckland team should a six-team competition go ahead.

Dropping the Western Flyers would leave a huge gap between Waikato and the Bay of Plenty to Wellington but it would be no different to the situation in rugby's Super 12.

Cometz board member Maree Bernasconi said the franchises met the board this year and have filled in a form from PricewaterhouseCoopers, which has completed an independent review.

"I think they are going to drop three teams and bring in two Australian teams," Bernasconi said. "Netball New Zealand has been dying to do that for a while. But I think we should look after ourselves. Bugger Australia."

Bernasconi said from what she has gauged, most of the other franchises are happy for the competition to be left the way it is.

"I am concerned for the up-and-coming players in Counties and Manukau," she said. "It will be a sad day if we are dropped."

Magic board chairwoman Judith Taane agrees that most of the franchises are happy with the competition.

"It promotes our own talent. It is important so there isn't a huge gap between this level and the Silver Ferns."

Canterbury Flames board chairwoman Noeline Ward disagrees. Ward said if it was her choice she would drop the number of teams to six and eliminate those that have performed badly over the past six years.

To help develop the younger players, she would allow teams to have squads of up to 16, four more than allowed now. Taane was also in favour of a two-round competition.

NNZ's chief executive Shelley McMeeken said she would not comment on the review until it had been discussed with the franchises.

"The Netball New Zealand board has discussed the renewal of franchise agreements for 2004 National Bank Cup and considered issues around the competition for the future.

"The National Bank Cup is significant for Netball New Zealand and netball in New Zealand and for that reason we are taking our time to work through the process."