Tutaia to take break from Ferns
Get used to strategic series’ off.
Full-blown sabbaticals are probably beyond Netball New Zealand, but outgoing Silver Ferns coach Waimarama Taumaunu believes more players will take the lead of Maria Tutaia and sit certain test matches out.
The goal attack has asked to be excluded from New Zealand’s team to meet Australia in next month’s four-test Constellation Cup series.
She cited fatigue and is not among the 24 players who’ll assemble in Auckland on October 4 for the national trials.
The rest of the Silver Ferns squad that were beaten 58-55 in the World Cup final by Australia have committed to play the Constellation Cup, while Tutaia is expected back in the new year.
‘‘It’s not normal, we haven’t done it before but going forward it’s something we’ll need to think about more,’’ Taumaunu said of resting players.
She added that the physical and mental demands of netball had never been greater and what was once unthinkable, was now entirely practical.
New Zealand’s stocks will be tested by Tutaia’s absence. She was a key ingredient in the Silver Ferns’ encouraging World Cup performance and none of the six shooters invited to the trials are quite in her league.
Taumaunu does have options, though. Jodi Brown could partner goal shoot Bailey Mes, while Malia Paseka is an option at goal attack too.
That might mean a recall for Cathrine Latu or Ameliaranne Wells as the second back-up option, with Ellen Halpenny and Te Paea Selby-Rickit the other shooters trialling.
‘‘The work we were doing between Jodi and Bailey was actually looking all right at practice [during the World Cup]. And, who knows? Malia is a completely unknown quantity, so that does give us the option [to move her from goal shoot],’’ said Taumaunu.
At the defensive end, mother- of-two Anna Harrison makes a surprise return designed to keep a few others honest.
‘‘I am very aware that we have a history of coming back from pinnacle events not in great shape,’’ Taumaunu said.
The players have had training programmes, despite this being their major holiday period of the World Cup cycle, and Taumaunu has laid eyes on most in recent days. Physically they look well, she said, but there’s some emotional repair work required after the disappointment of the World Cup.
‘‘It was a world champs and we worked really hard and we fell over at the last hurdle so that isn’t easy [to recover from]. But the fact that 11 of the 12 players are really willing and able to get back up and do it again is a good indicator that things are coming right.’’
This series is Taumaunu’s last, which will place extra emphasis on her even if she’s determined to treat it like any other.
‘‘I want us to continue in the vein that we have been in this year. I wouldn’t want to finish on a note that let us all down.
‘‘I get that it’s the last one, but I’ll think about that after it’s finished.’’
Taumaunu said announcing she would not seek reappointment as coach had caused her to give the future some thought ‘‘so I’m probably a little closer to knowing what I’m going to do next year, but not a lot’’.