Ferns to recruit coach

Waimarama Taumaunu is yet to decide whether she’ll seek reappointment as Silver Ferns head coach as Netball New Zealand (NNZ) begins the recruitment process to fill the position.

The World Cup silver medallists flew out of Sydney yesterday morning with Taumaunu still uncertain about her future in the role. Taumaunu, who had three years as assistant coach to Ruth Aitken, was elevated to the top job following the 2011 World Cup.

She favours an open, contestable appointment process, if only because it gives the head coach the authority of having been deemed the best candidate.

It had previously been thought that NNZ would simply roll Taumaunu’s contract over, in the event she elected to stay on. But the job will now be advertised, with Taumaunu needing time to decide if she’ll re-apply.

It’s all academic in the meantime, given she’ll still be at the helm for the upcoming Constellation Cup series against Australia.

Besides, New Zealand aren’t blessed with quality coaching candidates. None better than Taumaunu anyway. So she would probably have to be unseated by Australian, in the event she did seek a further term.

Judged purely on results, the Silver Ferns have gone nowhere under Taumaunu. The team came second at the two pinnacle events she took them to – last year’s Commonwealth Games and this World Cup – which doesn’t immediately jump out as progress.

In terms of performances, though, the difference between this year and last is night and day.

Taumaunu struggled to see the bigger picture yesterday. Sunday’s 58-55 defeat to the Diamonds in the final was still too raw to be smoothed over.

But, when pushed, she did indicate that some gains had been made.

‘‘Particularly at our attack end. That really did hold up and that was the end that was less experienced,’’ Taumaunu said.

‘‘I think the fact that we have finally won a match against Australia without Irene [van Dyk] on the court, that was always a big milestone that I knew was not going to be an easy one.

‘‘That we have regathered ourselves and are competitive and have a belief that we’re competitive, because that was pretty difficult. It was a difficult end to last year and there’s no doubt that the young ones have inherited a belief that they can compete and they can win.

‘‘So those two things are satisfying and I guess laying a foundation for the next four years is another, because there’s some youngsters there that will see another couple of [World Cup] cycles.’’

All that at least gives the next Silver Ferns coach something to work with. Whoever that may be.