Netball: Quest to be No 1 drives van Dyk

Irene van Dyk is focused on maintaining a hold on her Silver Ferns bib. Photo / Getty Images

It's not quite life begins at 40 but Irene van Dyk has a new spring in her step since the arrival of Cathrine Latu on the international scene.

She was one of the best in the recent England series and starred in the first match against Australia, before sitting out Wednesday's loss in Adelaide. The deciding test is in Melbourne today.

"I guess people have that perception that Cathrine Latu is the real deal and the only competition I have," says van Dyk. "I don't quite see it like that. Paula Griffin is real competition, Daneka Wipiiti was competition - but I guess now I have to perform every single time to make sure I am the best. I want to be the first choice."

For all van Dyk's protestations, the reality is that Latu is the first serious contender to unseat her in almost a decade.

"Reading her now, she is a very competitive lady - it is about her and that goal shoot bib," says Noeline Taurua, who has been van Dyk's franchise coach for almost a decade. "She has been producing some lovely stuff. She is pretty feisty at the moment and putting a claim in for that bib. On the court, she is more specific and decisive with what she needs to do. She looks quite sprightly - almost 10 years younger."

It presents Wai Taumaunu with a conundrum. Van Dyk is not the force she once was and faded at the back end of the world championships final, with Laura Geitz out-pointing her on several occasions. But she is still a match winner, as she showed in Perth last week. Latu is the future; Australian defenders struggle to contain her and she has a promising combination with Maria Tutaia.

However, the departure of Temepara George has hurt Latu; unlike van Dyk, she has rarely played with either Laura Langman or Liana Leota, the main attacking feeders. It should come with time but Latu has also yet to prove she can handle the mental and physical demands of 60 minutes at the highest level. She started well on Wednesday but struggled in the final quarter, scoring only twice after managing nine, eight and eight in the first three periods while van Dyk sat on the bench.

"I didn't like it at all," says van Dyk of her 60 minutes on the pine. "But somewhere along the line, Wai has to build the team for the next four years. Sure, it is nice to play them against England, South Africa and Malawi but they need to have a chance against the best in the world."

Having said that, the 1.90m shooter is not entertaining thoughts of retirement, nor playing second fiddle to anyone: "There is no time to rest on your laurels. At every training and every game I have to be clearly the No 1 option, otherwise it is a 50-50. I don't want to give the coaches a 50-50 - I want to be out there and give them no choice."

She talks seriously of competing in Sydney in 2015, depending on how she feels and if she continues to avoid injuries. In her favour, the Ferns have a light international programme over the next two years, though the ANZ Championship seems to get more intense every season. Her family remains supportive, she says, and 12-year-old daughter Bianca (already over 1.85m) has taken to doling out regular advice.

"She tells me 'mum, when you come out of the circle, you lose quite a lot of ball, so just stay inside - you're okay inside'," laughs van Dyk. "I just think 'don't you tell me what to do'."

If Latu does gradually start to get the majority of court time, van Dyk says she could live with being the back-up. For a while.

"[Being] No 2 would not be end of the world," says van Dyk. "If I can help these young ones become better than me, then why not?"

Taumaunu took the chance to experiment on Wednesday, using Latu and Kayla Cullen, which must be applauded in the team's long-term interests. Unfortunately, since the Ferns failed to claim the world title, the current series has become important; expect to see Taumaunu opt for her strongest, most experienced seven today, with van Dyk back in the mix.