Pulse begin search for replacement
The Central Pulse are searching swiftly for a replacement for Silver Fern Temalisi Fakahokotau, who has decided not to play in this year’s ANZ Premiership, but they are well-stocked when it comes to defenders.
Fakahokotau left the WaikatoBay of Plenty Magic to join the Pulse, her third team in as many years, last August, ahead of the 2022 season, which begins on March 13.
But on Tuesday the Wellington-based franchise announced she would not be taking part, saying ‘‘the global situation, and having sacrificed time with family for several seasons after playing for franchises outside of Auckland, has highlighted to Fakahokotau her priorities’’.
Pulse chief executive Fran Scholey told Stuff: ‘‘ We can’t comment any further on her personal decision, but just like anyone does at any stage in their life, they reassess careers or priorities, and sometimes they decide to take a different path.
‘‘In her case, the decision is to take a year off.’’
Fakahokotau joined the Magic last season after four years at the Mainland Tactix, where she hit career-best form and earned a recall to the Silver Ferns.
She suffered a serious knee injury in current coach Noeline Taurua’s first training in August 2018 and hasn’t played for the Silver Ferns since, while battling injuries in domestic netball.
Fakahokotau grew up in Auckland with seven brothers and a younger sister and in signing with the Magic, she had returned to the city, writing in an Instagram post last November that she had been glad to have the chance to watch her nieces and nephews ‘‘grow up in front of me rather than through a phone screen’’.
Her move to the Pulse meant she had to leave Auckland for Wellington and in the same post she said missing a nephew’s fifth birthday had left her ‘‘crying [her] eyes out, wishing I could be home for his special day. Once again, my job took me away from my family and this time it really had a massive impact on me’’.
The recruitment of Fakahokotau came as Pulse’s former captain, Katrina Rore, moved in the other direction, to the Magic, so she was a key signing, but Scholey said they had supported her as she made her decision not to play.
The Pulse still have a pair of established defenders in Kelly Jury – currently in England with the Silver Ferns, who begin their Northern Quad Series campaign on Sunday – and Kristiana Manu’a, who is returning to New Zealand, where she was born, after five years playing across the Tasman, where she earned two Australian caps.
Scholey said having to recruit a new player nine weeks out from the start of the season wasn’t ideal, but it was a task coach Yvette McCausland-Durie and her staff had already initiated. Training partner Parris Mason will be a leading contender to take the vacant spot after missing out on a full-time contract, like she had in 2021.
‘‘That’s just part of life. They’ll assess the best fit. They’ll look at each athlete available to us, obviously in New Zealand and potentially overseas, although you don’t wanna necessarily play the lottery of MIQ, but they’ll also factor in our responsibilities to what position they’re filling and what we need as well.’’
The Pulse resumed pre-season training on Monday and have their first ANZ Premiership outing on March 14, away against the Stars in Auckland.