Southby fights to keep job
OPINION: Janine Southby isn’t bowing out of the Silver Ferns’ head coaching job without a fight.
Several sources have confirmed to Stuff that Southby, who is contracted through to the end of the 2019 World Cup, is desperate to retain the role and isn’t walking away on her own terms.
The first stage of the independent review into the Ferns’ downward plight, where they failed to medal at the Commonwealth Games for the first time, will be revealed in mid-July. No date has yet been set for the review findings public announcement.
Over the past year, the oncemighty Ferns have transformed into a basket-case. They lost three successive times to Jamaica within a month and suffered a harrowing first loss in their history to Malawi at the Games. New Zealand have won just six of their past 18 games since October 2017 and lost 11 straight matches to tier-one nations (Australia, England and Jamaica).
The review panel, chaired by prominent Auckland lawyer Don Mackinnon, and Netball New Zealand (NNZ) must take the situation out of Southby’s hands. She and assistant coach Yvette McCausland-Durie must resign or be pushed to step down.
Anything less will be a failure from the review panel and a cop out from NNZ.
NNZ’s paucity of experienced homegrown coaches could sting the Silver Ferns in the worst possible way.
Southby could somehow retain the role by default if the obvious choice to replace her, Noeline Taurua, isn’t available or keen on the position. Taurua, who wasn’t shortlisted for the final two in the Ferns’ coaching search in 2015, is in her second season guiding the Sunshine Coast Lightning in Australia.
Retaining Southby would save NNZ any drama around a potential payout.
If there are issues getting Taurua out of her Lightning contract or the Ferns’ job doesn’t appeal, NNZ could be stuck with the embarrassing situation where they have to keep the status quo for another year.
The fifth-placed Lightning’s last round game is August 5, leaving just a six-week window until the Ferns’ next test against England
She [Janine Southby] and assistant coach Yvette McCauslandDurie must resign or be pushed to step down.
on September 15.
Things would get tricky if the Lightning have a prolonged finals run like last season, where they won the title. The Australian Super Netball decider is slated for the weekend of August 25-26.
Taurua, who is contracted with the Lightning until the end of 2019, is understood to be interested in the Ferns gig.
She must be approached by NNZ, should the review find shortcomings with Southby and McCausland-Durie, as expected.
Outside the highly-rated Taurua, talented and proven Kiwi coaches fail to leap out, highlighting further concerns with NNZ’s high performance programme and coaching development structures.
McCausland-Durie has the Central Pulse sitting top of the table in the national premiership, but the Ferns are another beast. She and Southby were badly exposed in the international arena during the Ferns’ struggles over the past year.
Several premiership coaches have shown promise with their teams or the New Zealand under21s, but are a long way off being ready for the Ferns’ top job.
The independent review panel has been meticulous with its investigation and rightfully is not rushing the process.
Time is ticking, though. The countdown is on until the 2019 World Cup with next week representing a year until the tournament starts. Knowing who will lead the side into that pinnacle event and start the painstaking job of restoring credibility is pivotal. NNZ can ill-afford to stuff this up.
The panel’s findings, which are being presented to NNZ’s board before recommendations are made, will make fascinating reading and shape the future direction of the Ferns. That is a future Southby and McCauslandDurie surely can’t be a part of.