Dana Johannsen: Review of Ferns wins praise despite harsh findings

Rumours of player unrest dogged the Silver Ferns this year. Photo / Getty Images

Silver Ferns coach Waimarama Taumaunu is facing a challenge many high-performance coaches grapple with at some point in their career.

Taumaunu's leadership has come under the spotlight after a review into the Silver Ferns' awful 2014 season, which included an 18-goal loss to Australia in the final of the Commonwealth Games and, before they could dust themselves off, a 4-0 series loss to the Diamonds in the Constellation Cup.

The independent review, commissioned by Netball NZ in advance of the newly appointed high-performance manager Steve Lancaster joining the organisation, zeroed in on several performance areas that need to be addressed before next year's World Cup.

These include a lack of experience in the shooting end, the need for the team to be better conditioned for a tournament campaign and more of a focus on mental skills, particularly in "critical moments". But the report also highlighted problems with culture and leadership of the team.

Rumours of player unrest dogged the Silver Ferns this year, with talk some were unhappy with the management style of Taumaunu and her assistant coach Vicki Wilson.

The coaching team later came in for some brutal feedback from the netball players association (NZNPA) as part of the review, with the organisation's executive manager, Steph Bond, critical of the pair's dictatorial approach.

"I think there needs to be a deliberate change in thinking from management and coaches to enable the players to get the opportunity to lead," Bond told the Weekend Herald.

The NZNPA was also critical of the focus on individual statistics rather than team culture and the absence of any team-building initiatives from the national programme.

While on face value her results this year might suggest otherwise, Taumaunu is an incredibly shrewd and tactically astute coach. Some players in the national team believe she is the best coach they've ever had. But her dogmatic style and authoritarian approach do not mesh well with everyone and she finds herself treading a well-worn path for top coaches.

The ructions in the Ferns camp appear similar to those which Robbie Deans faced early in his tenure with the Crusaders. Those close to the team at the time say senior players were too scared to offer their views because Deans tended to be dismissive of any other ideas but his own. The players association later got involved, and, to his credit, Deans listened and turned the Crusaders into a dynasty.

The delicate balancing act between empowering players to take ownership of the campaign while still maintaining control over the programme is further explored in a case study of Graham Henry's reign as All Black coach from 2004-2011.

The study, conducted by Ken Hodge of the University of Otago, details Henry's metamorphosis from a directive, authoritarian coach to a collaborative, consensus coach.

It is easy, or at least easier, to embrace an open and collaborative environment when things are going well. But when things aren't going to plan, which would be an understated assessment of the Ferns' 2014 season, it gets especially tough. In the face of a string of demoralising losses, the environment can quickly turn toxic and the ever-destructive blame game sets in.

With every successive loss this year the Ferns were pushed to train harder, play better and in the process team culture was ignored.

But some of the responsibility also rests with the players, and in particular the leaders in the group, who did not have the confidence to step up and properly represent the views of the team.

As damning as some of the findings of the review may seem, Netball NZ and the NZNPA agree it was a positive exercise. With the World Cup just nine months away, a frank and open review was what was needed to address the team's failings this year and set the Ferns back on the right path for the Sydney tournament.