Henry to limit minutes in pre-season
IN A way, it’s perhaps not a bad thing that this will be Joline Henry’s last tilt at the World Cup.
Gone are the days when simply being a better player than your opponent is sufficient to gain selection in netball teams. Henry was one of a handful of established Silver Ferns – along with Liana Leota, Cathrine Latu, Ameliaranne Wells and Temalisi Fakahokotau – left out of the team to play Fiji and Samoa last month, after not meeting the fitness criteria.
In Henry’s case, a calf injury meant she didn’t compete as well as others when it came to running the yo-yo test that decided selection. The particular method was a one-off but statistics and strength and conditioning numbers are becoming a more common route into the Silver Ferns.
New Zealand coach Waimarama Taumaunu has placed an unprecedented emphasis on conditioning, as she tries to bridge the gap with Australia ahead of August’s World Cup. That’s not how Henry would approach it but that doesn’t mean Taumaunu’s wrong.
‘‘I’m not of the belief that we are any less fit than they are or that we are any slower than they are. I just think they play netball really well,’’ Henry said.
‘‘In saying that, the powers that be believe that if we are fitter than them and we are faster than them, then we can only be in a better position to beat them. So while our beliefs are a little bit different about why there’s a deficit between us and Australia, I do agree that being fitter and faster and more agile can but help us.’’
Henry was all those things until about a week before the Silver Ferns assembled in Auckland for their selection camp. But five weeks of dedicated running work took their toll on the sixth, with calf trouble flaring for the umpteenth time in the wing defence’s career.
An ‘‘inverted foot’’ which has an impact on her running action is among the reasons why Henry can be susceptible to injuries of that nature. And also why she’ll take a limited part in the Central Pulse’s programme at the transTasman Netball League’s preseason tournament in Sydney.
The team fly over today, ahead of matches against the Adelaide Thunderbirds, New South Wales Swifts, West Coast Fever, Northern Mystics and Southern Steel. Henry will look to play about half the minutes on offer, having only just returned to full training.
The Pulse have a useful buildup, between now and their first competition game against the Melbourne Vixens on March 1. Not that Henry’s especially interested in how the pre-season goes.
‘‘We need to nail it when it matters and when the pressure’s on and Rob [coach Robyn Broughton] has made that a real focus,’’ she said.
‘‘[Success] relies upon people getting out there and performing and doing that consistently over the competition, not having a few good games and thinking your job’s done. Even if you’re not playing your best game, I still believe you can do your job and do it effectively.’’