Dana Johannsen: Ferns must bolster reserves before cup

Maria Tutaia is on the injured list for the rest of the season as she attempts to resolve a painful foot injury. Photo / Greg Bowker

Just a few months out from this year's Commonwealth Games, Silver Ferns coach Waimarama Taumaunu was pretty happy with how her side were tracking ahead of the Glasgow tournament.

You never get too comfortable as coach of the national side, but she thought her team could scarcely have been better prepared for their title defence. The Ferns might have lost last year's Constellation Cup 4-1, but Taumaunu believed they had made important progress during that series, bedding down new midcourt combinations as well as giving shooter Cathrine Latu prolonged court time against Australia.

That progress was confirmed in the January tour to Britain, in which the Ferns racked up comfortable wins against Jamaica and England - two of the danger teams in world netball. New Zealand even managed to knock over a full-strength England side by 17 goals with Irene van Dyk and Maria Tutaia sitting on the bench for the entire game. Things were going quite nicely indeed.

Then, about six weeks out from the Games, it all began to unravel.

Van Dyk, New Zealand's reigning queen in the goal circle for the past 15 years, announced she was stepping down from international netball. The 217-test veteran's confidence had plummeted after a poor ANZ Championship season with the Central Pulse and she no longer felt she could cut it at test level.

It was just as well Latu had been given those opportunities the previous season then. Van Dyk's withdrawal was a setback, but not a disaster. But when Latu and star shooter Tutaia picked up injuries at the tournament? That was a disaster.

Without the pair the Ferns bravely battled their way into the gold medal match against Australia. Although clearly still hampered by a foot injury, Tutaia returned to take the court in the final. The result was a humiliating 18-goal defeat.

For last Thursday's opening Constellation Cup test Latu was back on board, while Tutaia had returned to the injured list for the rest of the season as she tries to resolve a painful foot injury. The Diamonds took out the first test by 17 goals.

If you needed an illustration of the dire lack of depth in New Zealand netball, the Ferns' last two outings against Australia have provided it. The elite playing stocks are so limited that it only takes the retirement or unavailability of a couple of key players and the Ferns struggle.

You could argue the Ferns have been particularly unlucky to be hit by a succession of injuries in the area of the court where they could least afford it, with New Zealand's shooting depth especially limited because of the number of imports occupying those spots in the ANZ Championship, but those losses could have been mitigated by better succession planning.

It wasn't so much a systemic failing on Netball NZ's part, but rather there was no system to speak of. Netball in this country has lacked a co-ordinated approach to player development, and the result has been plain for all to see over the past 12 months, with Australia enjoying a sustained period of dominance over the Ferns.

The fact that the national body is finally addressing the shortcomings and trying to build depth will be of little comfort to Taumaunu as she looks ahead to the World Cup in 10 months.