Netball: So where do we go from here?

The Silver Ferns may have to hope that Belinda Colling sticks around. Phil Walter / Getty Images

A year out from the world championships the Silver Ferns appear to be in a healthy position. Or are they?

Julie Ash asks three former Silver Ferns about:
* The recent international series
* What to do about the wing attack position and
* Australia's frightening 22-goal turnaround.

* * *

Worrying lack of depth at wing attack

* Noeline Taurua
Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic coach
Former Silver Ferns goal attack/wing attack

"I think the only disappointing thing is that we have given Australia a sniff. Once they have a sniff, like any Australian team, they are like dogs at a bone.

"There were glimpses of the old Australia in terms of their speed, especially through the midcourt ... the cutting through the middle of our defence."

Taurua thinks New Zealand are still "superior" but an area of concern is the way they are feeding van Dyk.

"It is all right if they have a fast flat ball in there but any lobs and they won't do it. You are taking away one of the best things that makes Irene Irene.

"The only one that will do it is Temepara [George]. I think Adine [Wilson] needs to increase her skill level. At the moment she is a sharp, fast player but she needs to add another dimension to her game. She needs to introduce more high balls and long balls into her game. But in saying that, that's quite a good balance, Temepara can do those high passes and Adine can do the flat ones."

She also points to the lack of depth at wing attack as a worry.

"Wing attacks connect the midcourt to the shooters. If you don't have the ball going in there then you have taken not only yourself out but also Irene as well."

With van Dyk such an integral part of the Silver Ferns, a less than capable wing attack could throw out the entire game plan.

But Taurua struggles to name a wing attack/centre pushing for Silver Fern selection.

New Zealand has plenty of midcourt players but the issue is most are centre/wing defences rather than centre/wing attacks.

The problem is not just at senior level. In the New Zealand under-21 side no one lists wing attack as her first position. Grace Rasmussen and Anna Thompson are both goal attack/wing attacks.

Liana Barrett-Chase is regarded as a centre/wing attack but Taurua sees her more as a centre/wing defence.

"Maybe at the moment Belinda is the best back-up option although Temepara could also fill it if need be."

Turning Debbie White or Laura Langman into a wing attack would be difficult, although not impossible.

"A wing attack has to be a person that has that natural feeding ability and can turn and feed from anywhere whether it is long or short. I think it is a real specific skill you have to have along with being able to move in a confined area.

"Debbie [White] probably couldn't because she wouldn't have that same movement, she has long limbs. I don't think Laura [Langman] has the feeding ability."

Taurua says Australia's speed and flow on attack blew her away in the second test.

"I think we can match them. Temepara is fast, Laura is fast but it will depend on what type of defence we put up against them."

An interesting aspect of Australia's tactics was the way they put someone fast (Sharelle McMahon) against Vilimaina Davu instead of trying to match her with height.

Taurua says Australia's inaccurate shooting is something they will need to address.

"They can carve up all they like but if the ball is not going through their hoop ...

"I also noticed they added something to their game - they stepped back and to the side a lot when taking the shots to get it away from the arms."

Looking forward, Taurua says New Zealand have to be smarter, increase their range of skills and not rely on what worked previously.


Abundance of defenders

* Margaret Foster
Canterbury Flames coach
Former Silver Fern centre/wing attack

New Zealand were steady shooting-wise throughout the three tests - "Maria Tutaia was a real find" - while defensively they proved how many strong combinations they have available.

The midcourt, she says, has become a bit of an issue with the retirement of Anna Rowberry, and she agrees about the wing attack situation.

"It showed when Temepara [George] was injured. I thought they could have put Belinda Colling at wing attack, she is a stunning wing attack, and put Adine[Wilson] into centre and left Laura [Langman] at wing defence.

"I thought Debbie White was okay. No big revelation. She is a centre/wing defence rather than a centre/wing attack ... we have got an overkill of defenders."

Foster thinks Colling could be the backup wing attack at the world championships but believes coach Ruth Aitken will be keen to find someone else.

Liana Barrett-Chase and Maree Bowden are two who spring to mind.

She says Australia's speed through the midcourt and into their attacking end was "sublime" in the second test.

That provides an interesting challenge for New Zealand's defence. Most National Bank Cup teams tend to feed a lot of high balls into their shooters rather than fling it around at the same pace as the Australians do.

"We have been reasonably boring in that respect because we have someone like Irene [van Dyk] that you bomb the ball too," Foster says.

" I would probably say the Sting with Natalie Avellino and Belinda Colling are fast. When we played them in a warm-up game the two were on fire, they played like Australia did in that second test, and for the likes of Vilimaina [Davu] this was a chance for her to be around that type of style and she got dorked."

When asked which of the New Zealand defenders she thinks is best at counteracting speed, Foster says: "Vili is still a class act. I think Casey Williams is pretty reactive, and Leana [de Bruin] is very tall and quite agile, she pulls off a lot of intercepts in flight, not necessarily scroungy ones that are around the floor.

"There is no use playing one on one against them, that is what we used to do years ago when I was playing and we got dicked."


Learn from loss

* Julie Seymour
Former Silver Fern centre
Seymour has played with George and Colling in the wing attack position.

It is always assumed that Temepara George will struggle at wing attack because of her size.

Seymour disagrees.

"Look at her at centre. She is amazing, height is not everything."

Colling is "definitely capable" at wing attack, although Seymour played only the odd game with her when Colling was in that position.

Seymour says player depth seems to run in cycles - in her day it was defenders New Zealand were a little short of.

"It is just the nature of the game, you would be really lucky if you had heaps of cover in every position.

"There is an opening there at wing attack perhaps. There is an opportunity for people to shine at the national provincial championships but maybe they are happy with the cover they have got."

Seymour, traditionally a centre, played one quarter at wing attack against Australia in 1996. Lesley Nicol played at centre.

So is Seymour an option herself?

"I have never said I am not available for the Silver Ferns but in reality I think they are looking for someone a little more youthful," she laughs.

Seymour believes the loss to Australia won't hurt. Often, more is learned from a loss than a win.

"I think the Silver Ferns had a really off day and lost. Perhaps they did go in not meaning to but maybe a bit complacent ... a lion is more vulnerable after a big feed."


Conclusion

The Silver Ferns are undoubtedly in a strong position to defend their world title in a year. The wing attack position is a concern but with Jodi Te Huna expected to return to the shooting mix, Belinda Colling could provide back-up in the position if need be (fingers crossed that she chooses to stay around for the world championships, otherwise New Zealand will be in real trouble).

Unquestionably the Silver Ferns are better than the Australians player for player, but there can be no denying Australia performed exceptionally well in that second test. Their tireless defence and remarkable speed through court was impressive, if not frightening, giving the Silver Ferns plenty to think about over the next 12 months.