The latest Silver Ferns debutant admits work is needed to polish their new-look combinations, with game two against the Scottish Thistles on their Northern Tour looming on Wednesday.
New Zealand secured a messy 63-41 victory in Glasgow on Monday, marking the most goals they have ever conceded to Scotland.
Carys Stythe finally got her chance in the goal-keep bib after missing out during the Taini Jamison Trophy and Constellation Cup series, putting in a respectable performance.
The 22-year-old said it was “buzzy” to play alongside a childhood hero in skipper Karin Burger.
“I’m just really grateful that I got to play, especially with Karin, whom I’ve looked up to since I was a bit younger. Super, super grateful.”
Stythe said she found out during the week she would be starting and was a bundle of nerves and excitement.
“It was really cool to get out there. I’ve been here for a couple months and just watching the girls do their thing. So it’s really cool I got to join them.
“It was a very much a cobwebby, get the legs going [thing]. My legs were quite sore during that.”
Kiwi standouts Grace Nweke and Maddy Gordon were rested due to load management, meaning a chance for interim New Zealand coach Yvette McCausland-Durie to test new combinations.
With Georgia Heffernan tweaking her back at the captain’s run, Amelia Walmsley and Martina Salmon had a full run in the shooting circle.
Kimiora Poi had three quarters at centre while Parris Mason had a rare appearance at wing defence.
The Ferns were error-ridden, with passes sailing out of bounds and a few communication issues.
The Scotland shooters were also sloppy and Stythe said improving their rebounding will make a huge difference for the Ferns.
“We need to box out harder and just really get up for them. The goal shoot overcame us a couple of times, so I think that’s a key thing we can fix in defence.
“And then I think just the connection with the attack on the through-court.”
In the circle, Walmsley and Salmon swapped positions midway through and shot at 90% overall. There were a few stray passes and their connection to the midcourt was shaky at times. However, the pair will have plenty of time to hone their connection at the Stars in next year’s ANZ Premiership.
Stythe said Walmsley and Salmon are a young pairing but did well.
“I think just those errors that we can fix and then hopefully it can be a more consistent full game.”
The series comes amid a turbulent time for the Silver Ferns, with player complaints about Dame Noeline Taurua getting leaked on Friday last week.
The Stronach report – led by former New Zealand Cricket high-performance chief Bryan Stronach – was presented to Taurua following player complaints earlier in the year.
Taurua rejected the report and was stood down in September, but has since been reinstated.
Newstalk ZB’s Heather du Plessis-Allan read parts of the report on air.
She said the first problem was “fear and psychological safety”.
Reading from the report, Du Plessis-Allan said: “A strong theme was a sense of fear within the environment. Players talked about being scared to speak up, scared to make mistakes, scared to ask questions and scared to be themselves.
“The fear was not described as one-off or occasional. It has been around for a long time.
“Some shared that they don’t feel like they can give honest feedback because it won’t be received well or because it will come back on them later.
“The source of fear seems to come from a few things: inconsistent reactions from leaders, unclear expectations and a history of seeing others shut down or left out after speaking up. Some players describe feeling like they were always walking on eggshells.”
Du Plessis-Allan said issue two was “mixed messages and contradictions”, while issue three was “the weight of not feeling good enough”.
“Many players talked about a constant undertone of not being good enough. Even when feedback was meant to help, it often came across as negative or critical.
“This led to players feeling like they were always trying to avoid failure instead of reaching for their best. They described an environment where the tone can be quite intense and the feedback is more about what’s wrong than what’s working.
“Some shared that they began to second-guess everything or withdraw a bit just to stay out of the firing line.”
Continuing to read from the report, Du Plessis-Allan said issue seven was “inconsistency and shifting standards”.
“Players noticed that the behaviour and mood of the coaching and support staff can change noticeably, depending on whether the team is winning or not.
“When results are going well, the environment feels more relaxed and positive, but when the team is not performing, expectations shift suddenly and the tone becomes more intense and critical.
“There was also a sense that individual players are treated differently. Some are held accountable for small things, while others are not challenged on bigger issues. Another example was the fitness standard and how some were held accountable to it and others not.”
Du Plessis-Allan said issue nine was “commitment to high standards”.
“It was clear that the players believe in the importance of high standards. Players acknowledged they don’t always meet the standards and they want to be held accountable when that does happen.
“The concern was not about the existence of standards, but about how they are implemented and communicated. When standards feel unclear or are inconsistently applied, it undermines the purpose.”
Taurua has confirmed she has seen the report, but is adamant she has done nothing wrong.
Nathan Limm has been a journalist with Newstalk ZB and the NZ Herald since 2020. He covered the Netball World Cup in Cape Town in 2023, hosts The Big League Podcast and commentates rugby and netball for Gold Sport.