By JULIE ASH
Auckland Diamonds coach Joan Hodson will spend the next few days reassessing her midcourt options without Silver Ferns captain Anna Rowberry, whose fractured elbow has forced her out of the first two games of the national league.
Rowberry injured her elbow in a pre-season tournament in Te Awamutu on
Saturday after a collision with an opposing player and is likely to be out of action for the next four to six weeks.
She saw a surgeon in Auckland yesterday and will visit the doctor again in 10 days to get a clearer idea of how long she will be sidelined.
But it is almost certain she will miss the Diamonds' first two matches against the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic on April 18 and the Western Flyers on April 24.
"I am a bit gutted. I don't fall over much on the court and the one time I do I break something," Rowberry said.
Although former Silver Fern Victoria Edward is a more than capable replacement for Rowberry in the centre position, Hodson could also look to Krystal Feterika-Opetaia or Kiri Adams to fill the gap.
"We have real depth in terms of our midcourt positions," Hodson said. "But you lose a leader from your team and it is definitely a huge loss."
Less than three weeks away from the start of the national league, Hodson is satisfied with her side's progress.
In last weekend's pre-season tournament in Te Awamutu, the Diamonds beat the Flyers 55-30 and the Otago Rebels 45-29, but without Rowberry and Kathryn Harby-Williams, who had to return to Australia, they were well beaten by the Magic 65-39.
"We were looking at getting combinations going but the main thing was to get the girls used to Kath [Harby-Williams], because it was the first time we have played with her," Hodson said.
The Diamonds go to Sydney this weekend for a series of games against Australian club sides.
