Netball: Shakers still a work in progress says coaching guru McIntosh

Former Australian netball coach Jill McIntosh believes a second round in the National Bank Cup will benefit the younger and less experienced teams in the competition like Wellington's Capital Shakers.

McIntosh wraps up a six-week stint in Wellington next week during which time she has worked with a number of groups including secondary school players, under-19 and under-21 trialists, the Shakers and their development squad.

The Shakers have had an abysmal season, which hit an all-time low last weekend when they were beaten by their closest rivals the Flyers.

The loss means the Shakers are likely to end the season with the wooden spoon unless they can pull off a couple of miracle wins in their final two games against the Rebels (tonight) and the Magic the following weekend.

McIntosh, who guided Australia to world championship wins in 1995 and 1999 and Commonwealth Games gold medals in 1998 and 2002, has worked with the Shakers one night a week for the past five weeks and travels with the team.

She says they are simply a new-look team who need time to grow.

"I think people just have to be a bit more patient, they are not going to be world beaters overnight but they are growing and that is the main thing.

"I know from the Shakers' point of view being a younger team ... that it is great for these kids to play these top teams once but their development comes from backing up and playing them again to see what they can do the second time around."

McIntosh says it is the first time she has watched the competition live and she has been impressed with the standard, especially from some of the young and up and coming under-21 players.

She believes Silver Ferns coach Ruth Aitken will have plenty of options when considering her team of 12 to take on Australia next month.

Since retiring as Australia coach in 2003 McIntosh has coached in South Africa, Barbados, Vancouver and Papua New Guinea and is about to head to Singapore

National Bank Cup - Round six

* Tonight: Capital Shakers v Otago Rebels, Wellington 7.30pm (Delayed ONE Sport Saturday 4pm).

* Tomorrow: Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic v Canterbury Flames, Hamilton 4pm.

* Auckland Diamonds vs Flyers, Waitakere Stadium 7.30pm.

* Sunday: Southern Sting vs Northern Force, Invercargill 1pm (Live on ONE sport)