Taurua sees little point in two-point shot
Dame Noeline Taurua has joined the chorus of disapproval towards Super Netball’s controversial twogoal shot rule, arguing it belongs in Fast5.
Players, coaches, and fans across the Tasman have been left outraged by Australian Super Netball’s decision to add the twogoal ‘Super Shot’ this season. Former Australian shooter Caitlin Thwaites, who plays for the Melbourne Vixens, rubbished the radical move on Twitter, writing: ‘‘Players not being consulted over the biggest rule change netball has seen is terrible.’’
Australian captain Caitlin Bassett also posted a photo of the Lingerie Football League to her Instagram account, tagging Netball Australia, and captioning the image: ‘‘The next change to make netball more ‘entertaining’??’’.
Silver Ferns coach Taurua, who guided the Sunshine Coast Lightning to the first two Super Netball titles in 2017 and 2018, disagreed with the initiative. She believed it should be left to Fast5, netball’s abbreviated version with five players, not traditional netball.
‘‘I don’t feel we need to tinker with it and can just leave the variation to a Fast5 concept, which will bring something totally different,’’ Taurua told
‘‘I do like the two-point shots, but I like it with the Fast5 version and I like the game to be kept separate.’’
The Super Shot, from a 1.9m designated zone within the goal circle, will only be active in the final five minutes of each quarter, and in the five-minute extra-time period, if needed.
Netball New Zealand trialled the two-point shot at the under-19 and under-23 nationals in 2014 and sought feedback from players and coaches on its effectiveness. It was also used at the Super Club tournament in Nelson in 2018.
NNZ confirmed bringing in the two-point shot was never discussed for this year’s ANZ Premiership domestic competition – either prior to the season or during the Covid-19 lockdown.
‘‘The two-point does not fit with our current seven-a-side strategy. We believe Fast5 is the opportunity for rule adaptations such as this,’’ a NNZ spokesperson said.
Super Netball players and coaches were blindsided by Tuesday’s revelation with little, if any, consultation. The Super Netball Commission clearly made the rule change in response to innovations in other codes like the NRL and AFL, and the need for greater television viewership in a competitive Australian sports market.
Taurua, who stepped away from the Lightning after last year’s final loss to the Swifts to return to New Zealand, would have been furious if she was in the Super Netball coaches situation.
Teams had already contracted their squads for 2020, and the twogoal shot would change the way the game was played, not just for shooters, but defenders.