Netball: Aitken wants Silver Ferns to focus

Ruth Aitken wants her Silver Ferns squad to focus on competition, not contracts. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Silver Ferns coach Ruth Aitken is keen to ensure the scrap among New Zealand ANZ Championship franchises to secure the signatures of her star players does not disrupt the national programme.

The Silver Ferns squad assemble in Wellington today for this week's trials and Aitken has urged her players to "get their houses in order" before coming in to camp.

With all five New Zealand franchises extremely aggressive in the post-season recruitment race, most of the national side have been targeted by rival teams.

Two players have already announced they are on the move next season. Steel defender Katrina Grant is signing with the Central Pulse and Magic shooter Maria Tutaia is moving north to the Mystics.

But several more are still in talks with franchises and yet to make up their minds about where they will play next year.

The continuing speculation over players' future has the potential to be a huge distraction during the Silver Ferns season and Aitken is making it clear to her players that decisions need to be made, and fast.

"We did suggest that [finalising their contracts] would be ideal before coming into camp, but the reality is for some of them it's become a longer process and it's not something you can actually force or say 'sign it now'," said Aitken.

"They reduce the windows that they've got to operate in once they come in to camp, and certainly when they're in camp I'll be giving them the message they better get it sorted, pronto."

With that in mind, a flurry of player announcements is expected over the next couple of days.

Silver Ferns skipper Casey Williams is one player who has been the subject of endless speculation over where she will play next season. She has been courted by a number of teams, with the Southern Steel in particular making a big play for the star defender, offering what is believed to be a six-figure deal.

But it looks as though she will be staying put, with the Magic believed to have re-signed the 24-year-old Waikato stalwart.

The Magic, however, are still on the hunt for a quality shooter to replace Tutaia at goal attack. It is believed former Australian shooter Megan Dehn and Tactix shooter Jodi Brown have been approached, but both turned down the offer.

There is big interest among the Kiwi franchises in English defender Sonia Mkoloma, but it is believed the Pulse are now the frontrunners to secure her signature.

Ferns assistant coach Waimarama Taumaunu's involvement with the Pulse programme could prove a major drawcard for Mkoloma, who has worked under Taumaunu in England.

The Pulse also have the advantage over other New Zealand franchises of being able to sign two ineligible players as of right after transtasman league bosses introduced a special clause to help the struggling Wellington side.

Other Kiwi teams are allowed only one ineligible player as of right, and that player must be a New Zealand citizen. If a New Zealand side wishes to sign a second ineligible player, or their first ineligible player is an overseas import, the move must be approved by Netball New Zealand.

Mkoloma arrives in Wellington on Thursday to link up with the World Seven team before next week's three-test series against the Ferns.

Aitken will name her 12-strong side to face the composite world team on Friday after putting the New Zealand squad and invited triallists Jodi Tod, Jessica Tuki (Magic), Larrissa Wilcox (Tactix) and Erica Burgess through their paces this week.

Aitken is yet to decide whether she will follow her Australian counterpart Norma Plummer's lead and throw in a couple of wildcard selections for the world series.

"Until we've actually seen them over the next few days I'm not sure whether we will take a chance on some outsiders or if we'll go with the tried and true. A lot of that depends on our instinct once we see them fronting up."