Southby has to go or dark days will continue for Ferns
OPINION: The Silver Ferns have transformed into a train wreck under Janine Southby’s watch and her position as coach is untenable.
Saturday’s shaming against Jamaica in the Taini Jamison Trophy final, their second loss in three days to the Sunshine Girls, ranks among the darkest days in New Zealand netball history.
Take nothing away from Jamaica. They’re vastly improved and delivered a slick showing, but the Silver Ferns continue to implode with their sloppy starts, inconsistent shooting and wasteful turnovers, often after winning possession.
Twelve days out from their opening match at the Commonwealth Games, it’s too late for drastic changes.
Southby is contracted through to the 2019 World Cup, but Netball New Zealand (NNZ) could be forced into the radical situation of terminating her contract early.
The once mighty Silver Ferns have gone backward at an alarming rate under her stewardship. Returning from the Commonwealth Games without a medal for the first time is a real danger.
NNZ’s board must be concerned about the direction of the team under Southby. At least behind closed doors, they must be thinking about other coaching possibilities should the side misfire at the Games.
NNZ have to make a coaching change after the Commonwealth Games if there’s to be any chance of resurrecting the Silver Ferns in time for the World Cup.
This shouldn’t be seen as a personal attack on Southby. She is pleasant to deal with and trying her hardest, but looks out of her depth in the unforgiving environment of international netball.
Professional sport is about results and Southby’s record makes grim reading.
She’s won just 17 of 32 matches (53 per cent) since taking charge in November 2015.
Against the benchmark for any Ferns’ coach, Australia, she’s had two wins from 12.
Losing twice to Jamaica in three days is harrowing.
It’s hard not to feel sorry for Southby, given she was chucked into the top job, almost by default, on the back of limited success with the Southern Steel and an under-21 world title in 2013.
NNZ’s board made a series of foolish decisions and the repercussions are being painfully felt.
Noeline Taurua was the obvious replacement when Wai Taumaunu stepped down after the 2015 World Cup.
Bizarrely, Taurua never so much as made the shortlist, supposedly because of her prickly past relationship with NNZ and outspoken nature.
Taurua has since guided the Sunshine Coast Lightning to the inaugural Australian domestic title last year and re-signed with the club through to the end of 2019.
The short-sighted move not to pick midcourt great Laura Langman, who played 141 consecutive tests over 12 years, because she was furthering her game in Australia with the Lightning, was another blunder.
An exemption should have been made, given her outstanding service to the black dress. How they’ve missed Langman’s experience, tenacity, and dogged defence in the midcourt.
The dissolution of the transTasman netball league and not playing tough Australian competition regularly has also had a negative effect.
NNZ trumpeted they were better off on their own, but their new league was a flop last year and a poor sister to Australia’s wellpresented product, littered with the best import players.
The Ferns head to the Commonwealth Games with their confidence shot, having lost eight of their past 11 matches.
Of major concern is the way other nations have caught up with, and even overtaken, them.
England had beaten the Ferns just four times in their history, but have chalked up three wins in the past five months.
Jamaica made it two wins in three days on New Zealand soil, having previously only won twice in 2002 and 2009 in Kingston.
South Africa, mentored by former Australian coach Norma Plummer, were edged by just five and seven-goal margins in their past two matches after routinely being hammered by the Ferns.
Should NNZ opt to get rid of Southby after the Games and bring in a fresh voice, there’ll almost certainly have to look to Australia for promising coaching talent.
Where are all the bright emerging New Zealand netball coaches?
NNZ’s decision-makers have made their bed and its led to a world of hurt that shows no sign of abating.