Netball: Shooter Cath Tuivaiti may miss next Aussie season with knee injury

Central Pulse's Cathrine Tuivaiti celebrating the victory over the Mystics. Photo/Photosport

Prized Adelaide Thunderbirds recruit Cathrine Tuivaiti is unlikely to play in the next Super Netball season because of a knee injury.

The Thunderbirds announced the signing of the former New Zealand and Samoan international Tuivaiti last Wednesday, five days after the goal shooter injured a knee in her last game for Central Pulse.

Scans have since shown Tuivaiti ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament and requires a knee reconstruction.

Last week, the fiesty shooter told D'Arcy Waldegrave on Radio Sport that she decided to sign in Australia, after missing out on the Silver Ferns trials.

"Not being selected in the Silver Ferns isn't very nice - I don't even get a look in, which hurts even more - but it is something I can definitely live with. What disappoints the hell out of me is that I've had no communication, I've had no reasons."

Netball New Zealand head of high performance Keir Hansen defended the organisation's communication issues.

"We obviously try to communicate with our players as well as we possibly can, and make the standards that we're looking for as clear as possible," Hansen told Radio Sport.

"We're always looking to improve, and if there's things we can learn, then that's great, but in saying that, I'm also comfortable that our standards and expectations are communicated well."

Tuivaiti, whose 95% shooting accuracy led this year's ANZ Premiership, said NZ coach Janine Southby's "off-court issues" explanation didn't sit well with her.

"Reading that I have some off-court issues makes me out to be a bad guy. Yes, I have a foul mouth, but I'm a good person, and I do as much as I can for my team-mates and for my country.

"I don't know what that's about, but I'm not happy about it."

However, Hansen clarified that off-court issues could have referred to Tuivaiti's conditioning.

"When we talk about off-court things, we talk about things like your level of physical conditioning. We're really clear on what standards are required for various positions to deliver at international level."