Langman, Kopua will help raise bar for Ferns

Laura Langman and Casey Kopua’s return is the first tiny step in the Silver Ferns restoring their damaged netball credibility. The New Zealand legends are set to end their international exiles after being named in a 17-player 2018-19 Silver Ferns squad yesterday.

Recalling two of the finest players in Kiwi netball history, with a combined 242 test caps, is a huge boost for the broken Ferns, but it hasn’t been met with universal approval.

Already keyboard warriors have surfaced, labelling their inclusion as a backward step. Picking two veterans at the end of their careers is apparently blocking the pathway for emerging talent, who impressed in this season’s national premiership.

Those views are short-sighted and ignore the impact the pair of Ferns centurions will have on-and-off the court.

Bringing Kopua, who has come out of international retirement after last playing for the Ferns in October 2015, and Langman, who hasn’t featured since October 2016, is a masterstroke from head coach-in-waiting Noeline Taurua.

In case you’ve been lurking under a rock, the Silver Ferns aren’t in a great spot after an inept showing at April’s Commonwealth Games, where they failed to medal for the first time and finished fourth.

They suffered an embarrassing loss to Malawi in pool play, despite having thrashed them by 33 goals in a warm-up match a few weeks earlier. The despair continued with consecutive losses to England, Australia and Jamaica (in the bronze-medal clash) to end their horror tournament.

Four-times world champions, the Ferns have lost 11 straight games since October to tier one nations (Australia, England, and Jamaica).

New Zealand netball is at rock bottom and not so flush with player depth or experience that it can stick up its nose to two legends of the sport.

They are fortunate Langman hasn’t wiped her hands with the national body after the ridiculous decision from Netball New Zealand to block her from representing the Ferns because she was trying to extend herself by playing in Australia last year.

One of the key findings in the first stage of the independent review into the Ferns’ failed Games campaign was the lack of leadership and senior players in their arsenal.

The team was ‘‘green’’, ‘‘inexperienced’’ and missed the ‘‘experienced, battlehardened’’ players typically needed to contend for titles and medals at major netball tournaments, the report found.

Only three of the Ferns’ 12-player squad on the Gold Coast attended the 2014 Games; for eight of the team it was their first pinnacle event.

Langman and Kopua shouldn’t be considered a short-term fix. They’re two exemplary figures the Ferns can build around with standards the other players should be aspiring to.

That can only be a positive for netball in New Zealand – not something to be scoffed at.