KEY POINTS:
Waimarama Taumaunu believes Laura Langman should remain at wing defence until after the world championships and that goal attack is more of a problem area than midcourt.
With three months until the world championships in New Zealand, the former Silver Ferns great doesn't think it's time for coach
Ruth Aitken to experiment.
"It was worth trying [Langman at centre]," Taumaunu said. "But without Temepara George there, it might be something they should put on hold. Laura is a real prospect and will be a great centre in the future but Julie Seymour's experience and calm head [in the middle] is important."
Aitken has experimented with Langman in the centre circle, with mixed results. She looked tidy there against the inferior Jamaicans but was tentative in the first test against Australia on Wednesday night.
There are limited options available to Aitken outside the squad and she is unlikely to draft in newcomers with only three months to the championships.
Who should play centre is not the only problem at the moment. Aitken is still struggling to find an adequate replacement for Belinda Colling at goal attack and the unavailability of experienced dual international Donna Wilkins is another blow.
Aitken has tended to alternate between the free-shooting but mercurial Maria Tutaia and the solid yet unspectacular Jodi Te Huna.
While both have shown glimpses of their talent, these have been too fleeting and heaped pressure on goal shoot Irene van Dyk.
"I think they have a problem at goal attack," Taumaunu said. "They have two options and, being rather conservative, I would stick the one I think is going to be the main option and make her play. Make it come right."
It doesn't look like things will come right for George to return to the Silver Ferns.
She gave the biggest indication yet the planets weren't coming into alignment enough to prompt her to rejoin the side for the world championships.
Aitken said last month that George's return to the side was dependent on "whether all the planets were in the right alignment".
Although Aitken has made a handful of approaches to George, it appears the temperamental midcourt dynamo will miss November's championships.
"At this stage I feel I would dishonour the Silver Ferns since I cannot fully commit," George told New Idea this week.
George withdrew from the series against Jamaican and Australia for "personal reasons". Given she's now living in Townsville with boyfriend Sione Faumuina, it's safe to assume the former Kiwis rugby league international is that reason.
George's absence is a big blow to a Silver Ferns side that is running out of time to prepare for their world title defence. Her speed, flair and experience have been a key ingredient for the past decade.
Former Silver Ferns coach Lois Muir, however, said George's absence might turn out to be a positive.
"It means others have to step up," said Muir, who coached the Silver Ferns for 15 years up until 1988. "Others can get into a habit of playing with each other, which can be a side's demise.
"Internationally, once you become predictable, you have a limited future because of the video syndrome. People know what you are going to do. We need to turn it around to our advantage."
For Muir, and highly-successful Southern Sting coach Robyn Broughton, the most significant thing is the gameplan rather than the individuals.
Both said Aitken needed a system that slowed the speed with which Australia pass up the court. The Silver Ferns also need to let the ball go with confidence, so their own attacks build speed.
"I'm sure we can put it together," Broughton said. "I have belief in them. Three months is still a long time and I think they can refresh things and come up with something slightly different, just as Australia have. They've come up with something that works for them and we can do the same."
Taumaunu pointed to similarities in the buildup between the current side and the 1987 world championship-winning side she led.
They went into that tournament on the back of some poor results against Australia but, crucially, won the final test before the world championships.
"When I was involved, we came off the back of a series win but lost the last game and then lost the world championships," Taumaunu said. "The next time we went into the world championships off the back of a series loss but won the last game and went on to win in 1987. Historically, the last game is the most important, so I will be really interested to see what happens [against Australia] on Tuesday."
A win might just see the planets shift into place for the world championships.
