Wise approach taken with Wai’s star daughter
Dana Johannsen
The Silver Ferns are set to take a conservative approach to teenage shooting star Tiana Metuarau.
The 16-year-old Wellington schoolgirl’s meteoric rise is predicted to take another sharp upward turn next week, when the national selectors name their Silver Ferns squad.
After playing a key role for the Central Pulse in her first season of toplevel netball and then helping the New Zealand under-21s to the World Youth Cup title in Gaborone this month, Metuarau is among six shooters vying for four spots in the Silver Ferns for next month’s Quad Series.
Her inclusion in the national trials has raised the tantalising prospect Metuarau will follow in the footsteps of her mother, Silver Ferns legend Waimarama Taumaunu, in earning a call-up to the senior side in her teens. But Silver Ferns coach Janine Southby has emphasised the need for careful Defenders: Karin Burger, Temalisi Fakahokotau, Katrina Grant, Kelly Jury, Phoenix Karaka, Storm Purvis, Michaela Sokolich-Beatson, Zoe Walker, Jane Watson. Midcourters: Gina Crampton, Kayla Cullen, Shannon Francois, Claire Kersten, Erikana Pedersen, Grace Rasmussen, Samantha Sinclair, Whitney Souness, Elisapeta Toeava. Shooters: Monica Falkner, Bailey Mes, Tiana Metuarau, Te Paea Selby-Rickit, Maria Tutaia, Maia Wilson. management of Metuarau’s progression. “While we need a short-term focus for trials and the international season, it is also about the long-term for these guys, and [Tiana] is still very young so we’re very conscious that we don’t overload her and we’re making sure that the decisions we make around all of our young players are in their best interests long term.”
Metuarau, an athletic goal attack, had a heavy workload for the Pulse in her first season and then went straight into the under-21 campaign, so it could be too much, too soon to throw her straight into the Silver Ferns squad.
The national selectors are expected to take a more prudent approach, by naming her in the Silver Ferns development squad, and continue to include the talented teen in squad camps.
Several other members of the world champion under-21 side will feature alongside in next week’s trials, including Kelly Jury, Michaela SokolichBeatson, Monica Falkner and Maia Wilson. Of that group, Jury and Wilson have already made their Silver Ferns debut and will be looking to consolidate their spot in the national line-up.
Given the group only returned from Africa last week after a demanding tournament, Southby said the under21 players’ workload will be managed throughout the four-day camp. “We’re just trying to give them as much time as possible to recover and recuperate.”
Another sidelined for the trials is versatile defender Kayla Cullen, who is recovering from minor knee surgery in the off-season. She should be back for the mid-August squad camp.