Northern Mystics assistant coach Rob Wright claims netball has become rougher amid rising injury tolls in the ANZ Premiership.
Silver Fern Parris Mason is the latest casualty, being hospitalised after suffering a neck injury when Stars attacker Crystal Maro fell on her in round nine.
The defender has been clearedof any bone, disc or main ligament damage but is expected to spend two weeks in a neck brace and her ANZ Premiership season is likely over.
Parris Mason will likely miss the rest of the ANZ Premiership season. Photo / Getty Images
Injury replacements have been a mainstay of this year’s competition, which started with the Stars having Greer Sinclair, Kate Burley and Charlie Bell wheeled off the court hurt in the opening match.
Wright told the Inside Netball podcast he loves a tough contest, but contact is going too far.
“That doesn’t mean there’s not going to be some real big challenges. We need that in the game but there’s some niggle and stuff that I don’t think accentuates or highlights how good our game is.”
World Netball released new rules this year deeming any head and neck contact warranted an immediate sinbinning.
Mason’s Ferns and Pulse teammate Whitney Souness suffered a concussion in June after a collision with Steel wing defence Renee Savai’inaea, who was sent off.
Whitney Souness suffered a concussion in June. Photo / Photosport
Silver Ferns physio Sharon Kearney is backing the ANZ Premiership umpires in their policing of dangerous contact.
She said the Souness incident is the competition’s sole head knock.
“It was administered appropriately. So in terms of an actual concussive event, a player [Savai’inaea] was suspended and the player [Souness] followed stringent concussion return-to-play protocols.”
Explained why Maro remained on the court after falling on Mason, Kearney said it was an unfortunate situation.
“The Parris Mason scenario was a really unfortunate accident. She fell on the ground and hit someone who then fell on top of her. It wasn’t dangerous play.”
Kearney agreed netball is getting more physical, but said they are trying to ensure athletes are equipped to deal with it.
“We work really hard within the overall franchise environment to ensure our athletes are strong enough to cope with demand, understand the rules of the game and are really smart about their movements.”
Results have been largely inconsistent in 2025, leading to a congested middle of the ladder and producing a tense scrap for playoff positions in the final rounds.
Wright claims a significant rise in injuries means sides have regularly been without their top line-up.
“I think that’s affected teams being able to get all their players either training or playing together. That time together clearly is going to help around that consistency piece.”
Wright believes the onus is on coaches to crack down on rising bodily contact.
He said teams with higher penalty counts lose more than they win.
“If we lower our penalties, we keep ourselves in play, we can build pressure and look for stuff. You’re no good to anyone if you’re standing out of play, so I think it’s a no-brainer.”
The Mystics and the Tactix battle for ANZ Premiership grand final hosting rights on Sunday in Auckland.
The Pulse can secure an elimination playoff spot with a win over the Magic on Saturday in Tauranga, but a loss by six or more will leave the door open for the Steel, who face the Stars on Monday in Invercargill.
