Coach change possible for Ferns
Replacing Janine Southby as Silver Ferns coach is on the table, as Netball New Zealand embarks on a comprehensive review of its high performance programme, in the wake of the team’s fourthplace finish at the Commonwealth Games.
Led by an independent expert who is yet to be appointed, the findings of the review are set to be presented to Netball NZ’s board in early June, with chief executive Jennie Wyllie not ruling anything out on Tuesday.
‘‘I don’t think anything’s off the table,’’ she said yesterday in Auckland announcing details of the review.
‘‘I think we need to be very open and transparent in what we’re doing. We need to put some measures in place which allow us to rebuild and come back from this even more strong than we are now.’’
Southby’s position has been described as untenable in the wake of the Silver Ferns’ capitulation on the Gold Coast, where they lost to African nation Malawi for the first time, scraped into the semifinals on goal percentage, failed to make the final for the first time, and lost to Jamaica in the bronze medal game.
Appointed in 2016, Southby is contracted through to the end of next year’s World Cup. In the aftermath of Sunday’s loss to Jamaica, she said she would wait for the review to take place before making any decisions about her future.
Under her guidance, the Silver Ferns have lost their last three games against Jamaica, their last six against Australia, and four of their last six against England, and have a 20-win, 19-loss record.
Wyllie wouldn’t comment on Southby’s position, except to point to the review, which will commence in two weeks, when players return from post-Games leave.
Wyllie said next year’s World Cup, set to be hosted by England, who won the gold medal at the Games, with a shock win over Australia, would be a test of Netball NZ’s ability to make positive changes.
‘‘I think that’s how we will be measured. We must take the findings, we must implement change, with the vision that 2019 and beyond are things this group can impact.’’
While Netball NZ’s board is set to receive a draft report in early June, Wyllie did not rule out the possibility of the review taking longer, should it be necessary.
‘‘We will take the time that is required to make sure any recommendations going forward are the right thing, so if that means it takes a bit longer, that’s what we need to be able to do.’’
The Silver Ferns’ next assignment is the end-of-season Quad Series, which begins with a game against England in Auckland on September 15.