New Zealand’s Ameliaranne Ekenasio and team mates during the national anthems. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
In three days Dame Noeline Taurua will reveal her Silver Ferns’ World Cup team to defend the title they won in Liverpool four year’s ago.
Sports reporter Bridget Tunnicliffe makes an educated guess about who might make that final 12 and says two midcourt positions will come down to the wire.
Shooting end
Grace Nweke (L) and Ameliaranne Ekenasio of New Zealand. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Grace Nweke and Ameliaranne Ekenasio are certainties for the World Cup and expect to see them as the starting shooting combination in a crunch match because they are simply the best we’ve got.
Maia Wilson has done everything that would have been asked of her. She’s had her most accurate season to date and she’s put up good volume, just second to Nweke. She will primarily be a back up to Nweke but can play goal attack as well.
Before Bailey Mes announced her retirement the fourth shooter spot was probably going to come down between Mes and Te Paea Selby-Rickit.
The other shooter on the radar would have been Tiana Metuarau, whose last Test for New Zealand was back in January last year.
For the last 18 months Silver Ferns’ coach Dame Noeline Taurua has consistently said that she needs goal attacks who don’t hesitate going to the post and can put up 15 to 20 shots.
Metuarau averaged nearly 13 shots a game for the Pulse this year, while Selby-Rickit averaged 19 for the Tactix therefore it seems likely the 59 Test Cap Silver Fern will get the call up for her second World Cup.
Defensive end
Jane Watson and Karin Burger pick themselves in the defensive end. It’s been heart-warming to see them resume their instinctive partnership at the Tactix this year.
Watson (maternity leave) and Burger (injury) weren’t available for last year’s Commonwealth Games and the Silver Ferns probably didn’t get as much ball as what they are known for.
Both players won plenty of ball for the Tactix and that’s what they’ll need to do at the World Cup in Cape Town.
Burger has been in sensational form and would be most people’s ANZ Premiership MVP, an award she picked up in 2021.
Phoenix Karaka should be heading to her third World Cup.
The veteran Mystics defender has had a strong season, she’s experienced, aerial, and a good contrast to Burger at goal defence.
Sulu Fitzpatrick would be in the conversation for the final defensive spot but it would be hard for selectors to go past Kelly Jury.
Jury has had a strong season, topping the defensive rebounds and deflections, while sitting second for intercepts. She’s got extra height and her lean over the shot is an asset that could help in a game against Jamaica.
Midcourt headache
New Zealand’s Maddy Gordon in the Silver Ferns v Jamaica, Taini Jamison Trophy netball series at Eventfinda Stadium, Auckland on 21 September 2022. Photo: Photosport
Gina Crampton and Kate Heffernan should be fixed into the midcourt plans of the Silver Ferns’ coach.
Crampton has been the Silver Ferns’ starting wing attack since Dame Noeline took over the job in late 2018 and the veteran coach has a lot of faith in the 31-year-old.
In the short time that Heffernan has been a Silver Fern she’s shown why she is one of the most exciting netballers in the country.
She can cover wing defence and centre and has plenty of X factor, with the ability to get intercepts in the midcourt.
Hands down the biggest headache for selectors would be the battle for the two remaining midcourt positions because they could have started with a list as long as eight.
It’s hard to see how they could go past Pulse midcourter Maddy Gordon, who would be unlucky to miss out on the kind of form she’s been in for the Pulse.
Gordon played a full season at centre this year and as well as pulling off spectacular intercepts, has played with more control than ever before.
She can play all three midcourt positions well, having first been catapulted into the Silver Ferns on the back of a breakout season at wing attack for the Pulse in 2020.
Kate Heffernan of New Zealand Photo: PHOTOSPORT
If Dame Noeline wants Burger at goal defence and Heffernan at centre in a crunch match, she needs wing defence cover.
Sam Winders is proven at international level at wing defence and Michaela Sokolich-Beatson has returned to brilliant form in that position.
But Gordon can also cover wing defence, and equally, she can cover centre to allow Heffernan to drop to wing defence, where she is just as good.
The selectors would have grappled with whether they can afford to name two specialist wing attacks, with Peta Toeava a tempting option as a brilliant feeder to Nweke.
It could come down to Toeava and Whitney Souness, who was the Silver Ferns’ starting centre at last year’s Commonwealth Games.
If the selectors name Gordon she can back up Heffernan in centre, so they may feel like they can afford to be without Souness, and pick Toeava.
With 57 turnovers to her name Toeava is not as disciplined as they would like, when you compare that to Crampton, who has just 38 turnovers across the ANZ Premiership season.
Reserves
For the first time teams are able to name up to three reserves for the World Cup. They can only be used in the event of a tournament ending injury or illness to a player.
Tiana Metuarau is the only shooter available who has Silver Ferns experience but Amorangi Malesala could well be named ahead of her on the back of a sensational ANZ Premiership for the Stars because she’s prepared to go to the post.
As a defensive back up Sulu Fitzpatrick, Elle Temu, and Michaela Sokolich-Beatson would all be very handy reserves to take to Cape Town.
Fitzpatrick might get the nod because of her leadership qualities.
In the midcourt – Mila Reuelu-Buchanan has had a brilliant season for the Stars, has a high work rate and works well with Crampton so could be a good option as centre/wing attack cover.
Depending on the balance of the midcourt, Sam Winders or Claire Kersten could be named if centre/wing defence slides are needed in reserve.
The Silver Ferns World Cup team will be announced on the 7th June at 1pm.
POTENTIAL SILVER FERNS TEAM
Shooters
- Grace Nweke
- Ameliaranne Ekenasio
- Maia Wilson
- Te Paea Selby-Rickit
Midcourters
- Gina Crampton
- Kate Heffernan
- Maddy Gordon
- Whitney Souness
Defenders
- Jane Watson
- Kelly Jury
- Karin Burger
- Phoenix Karaka
RESERVES: Amorangi Malesala, Sam Winders, Sulu Fitzpatrick
