Calls grow for Poi’s Silver Ferns recall
The drums are beating for a long-awaited recall of Kimiora Poi to the Silver Ferns.
Poi played the last of her 10 tests, against Australia, in October 2022, but made some start to the ANZ Premiership season.
The Tactix captain produced a blinder, returning to her preferred centre bib, as the red-and-blacks opened with an emphatic 52-35 win over the Steel on Monday.
Poi was the lone Tactix player to stay on court for the full 60 minutes with coach Marianne Delaney-Hoshek able to mix her combinations around as the score pushed out.
Up against Ferns centre Kate Heffernan, Poi outplayed her in the first half, delivering accurate ball to her shooters and frustrating the Steel with her pressure on defence. Heffernan sat out the second half, managing Achilles and ankle injuries from the pre-season.
Poi couldn’t have scripted a better start to 2024 in her 100th national league match.
This shapes as an important year for the 26-year-old, who missed selection for the 2023 Netball World Cup and 2022 Commonwealth Games.
She has become the forgotten midcourter of New Zealand netball, last wearing the black dress on the Gold Coast in the 2022 Constellation Cup.
Poi’s task has not been made easy, with midcourt probably the deepest area of the court.
With Maddy Gordon, the 2023 ANZ Premiership player of the year, and highlyrated Heffernan, in front of her at centre, Poi has battled to break through internationally. Mila Reuelu-Buchanan and Whitney Souness can both cover wing attack and centre too.
Delaney-Hoshek hailed Poi as the most complete centre in the country, saying she preferred Heffernan at wing defence.
“I actually think she plays the best centre game out of all centres – she’s the proper package. Whilst she’s small, she gives any other middie a run for their money.”
She coached Poi in the New Zealand A team last year, describing her as the premier midcourter in the group “by far and wide”.
Poi has plenty working in her favour. She has long been regarded as one of the best-conditioned netballers in the country, once achieving a yoyo fitness test score of 20.3.
Centre is the position in which Poi feels most comfortable, but she was mostly used at wing attack last season for the Tactix, with English import Laura Malcolm at centre.
With Malcolm not back and wing attack Erikana Pedersen stepping out of retirement to reunite with the Tactix, Poi should predominantly play centre this year.
“I’m quite surprised she hasn’t been picked up [for the Ferns] given she’s so different to everyone else,” Delaney-Hoshek said. “She suits the Aussie style. Even when we played at Ōtaki against [Queensland] Firebirds [in pre-season], she was outstanding. She really suits playing against the Aussie style and her speed against the Aussies is unmatched out of all middies.”
Delaney-Hoshek is not wrong. Poi was integral in helping the Ferns to a rare Constellation Cup triumph over Australia in 2021.
She excelled in the final two tests of the series, causing headaches for the Diamonds’ midcourt with her explosive pace, vision and crisp feeds. New Zealand won both games to capture the series 3-1.
Delaney-Hoshek believed Poi’s defensive impact was an under-rated part of her game, picking up as much ball as her Ferns’ midcourt peers.
In Monday’s win, she generated two intercepts and two defensive gains.
Poi did not want to look too far ahead. Playing well for the Tactix and delivering consistent performances week to week was her sole focus.
Stand up against the Silver Ferns’ incumbents and perform strongly each game and she would make it difficult for the national selectors.
“It has felt a little bit longer than what I’d like it to have been [playing for the Ferns],” Poi said.
“It’s just probably focusing on Tactix and performance and if I get too focused on the outcome of making the Silver Ferns that can distract me from what I need to do in the moment.”
The main message to Poi had been to continue to sharpen her accuracy and volume of feeds into the shooters. With Heffernan and Gordon strong defensive centres, turning over possession and picking up ball was crucial.
“When I’m with Tactix I don’t think, ‘I’ve got to play well now so I can get in the Silver Ferns’.
“I’m just focusing on what I need to do at the moment and some games you have good games, some games you don’t, and that’s just how it goes in sport.”
Poi and the Tactix midcourt face another difficult test tomorrow hosting the Stars in Christchurch.
They will match up against ReueluBuchanan and former Silver Ferns captain Gina Crampton, who answered an injury SOS to help the Stars, having moved to Sydney.
“Mila and Gina have played together for a few years now and they’ve got a really solid connection, so it’s just about getting on them on defence and breaking that connection early on, so we can get ball off them.”