No surprises in Ferns squad for quad series
A week after Silver Ferns coach Janine Southby said her team required more effort she has named an unsurprising squad ahead of the Netball Quad Series.
The series is to be held in England and South Africa in January against England, Australia and South Africa and Southby’s squad of 14 has brought forward no big surprises.
Following last week’s Silver Ferns camp, Southby has picked on form, with Jane Watson and Whitney Souness making the cut for the tour. Recently married midcourter Grace Kara (nee Rasmussen) and athletic in-circle defender Phoenix Karaka make a return after missing October’s Constellation Cup series.
Last week Southby said that more effort was required from her players and that would be a work on.
Mental toughness was something she would look at, which Southby pointed to in the immediate aftermath of the loss to Australia in Sydney.
‘‘We weren’t as tough and as resilient as we needed to be,’’ she said. ‘‘This is a big tour in terms of the travel with short turnarounds between flying from New Zealand, playing in England and then on to South Africa,’’ said Southby.
‘‘For that reason we are travelling with 14. This will enable us to continue to develop and build depth and combinations across the squad.
‘‘The Commonwealth Games is the immediate focus but we’re also mindful the 2019 Netball World Cup is not that far away either and the more time we get with our athletes and continuing to finetune their readiness and preparation is all part of the bigger picture.’’
After winning the most recent
edition of a closely-contested Netball Quad Series in September, the Silver Ferns can expect an equally challenging tournament as the gap at the top of world netball narrows.