Silver lining
Two locals named in Ferns squad
Otaki celebrates as two of its residents are named in the Silver Ferns squad.
OTAKI retailers can expect a bumper trade today. The town is now home to two Silver Ferns squad members, one of whom sounds like she’s prepared to blow the budget on treats for her children.
Katarina Cooper missed son Hennessey’s eighth birthday this week to participate in the national trials.
Once a national age-group star, motherhood became Cooper’s priority.
It was only when Central Pulse coach Robyn Broughton took a punt on her ahead of the 2012 Trans-Tasman Netball League season that it looked like some of her early talent might amount to something.
But as soon as she blew out her knee in a match against the Melbourne Vixens, the smart money would’ve been on Cooper never being sighted again.
Only, as soon as Silver Ferns coach Waimarama Taumaunu saw Cooper playing as an over-age player for Central at last month’s national under-23 tournament, an improbable rise to the international stage began.
That culminated yesterday in the 27-year-old being one of 15 players announced in Taumaunu’s squad for the 2013-14 season.
Cooper knows she’s caught a big break and is determined to share her good fortune with the two people closest to her.
‘‘I’ve got great kids,’’ Cooper said of Hennessey and his sixyear-old sister, Maika.
‘‘It is hard being away from them but they’re at an age where they understand what mum’s doing. Now I have to spoil them, to make up for this week of missing them, so that means taking them to the toy shop.’’
Despite the withdrawal of Liana Leota, Taumaunu said the midcourt places were the most keenly contested this week. Cooper trialled at wing defence, centre and wing attack, where she took plenty of people by surprise.
‘‘I knew Katty [pronounced Cutty] going into this, but she impressed the selectors very much with her creativity with the ball, her long vision into the circle and her versatility,’’ Taumaunu said.
‘‘We’re very aware that there’s some work to do in terms of her ongoing [knee] rehab and her conditioning work but I think everybody was impressed with how well she adapted, how well she stood up in the competition and that she offers a flair and an unpredictability that is hard to coach and is in short supply.’’
It’s believed Otaki had never produced a Silver Ferns netballer and now they have two.
Pulse defender Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit joins Cooper as the other, having produced outstanding performances at goal defence and goal keep at the trials. Not that she’d tell you that. The 24-year-old, who’s known Cooper since she was two, isn’t prone to praising herself or appreciating kind words from others.
‘‘I’m really happy but we have these things where people say what you’re good at and, honestly, when people are complimenting me it’s like bloody nails on a chalkboard – I hate it,’’ SelbyRickit said.
Taumaunu said improving Selby-Rickit’s belief in her ability was something everyone was working on.
Selby-Rickit went into the trials as a Netball New Zealand-- contracted player and with a fine trans-Tasman season behind her. All the same, she kept a watchful eye out for Taumaunu.
The coach culled players as the trials went on and Selby-Rickit did not want to be one of them.
‘‘Pretty much if Wai didn’t come up to you, you were still here. So you tried to avoid her in the corridor,’’ she said.
The Southern Steel’s Courtney Tairi is the other player in the 15 yet to make her international debut.
Taumaunu has long been a fan of the Australian-born midcourter and it’s only injury that kept Tairi out – until now.
Barring illness and injury, these players will go on to form New Zealand’s squad for the Commonwealth Games next year.
Anna Harrison (pregnancy) and Bailey Mes (injured) weren’t included in yesterday’s 15 but have been contracted by NNZ
The 12-strong squad for the Constellation Cup series will be named in a fortnight.