Silver Ferns: Plenty of promise at start of new cycle

Analysis - The Silver Ferns have experienced significant lows in 2023 but finished the year on a high after back to back wins over the world champions.

After finishing fourth at the Netball World Cup, followed by a shock loss to an understrength England, things were looking a bit bleak for the Silver Ferns about a month ago but they quickly regrouped and at full strength showed their true potential.

The Australian Diamonds held on to the Constellation Cup for another year on Monday thanks to a superior goal percentage but the Silver Ferns gave them a bit to think about over summer after taking out the last two tests.

Bridget Tunnicliffe takes a look at the squad and where it might be headed

Will Maddy Gordon stay in centre?

Since the retirement of Laura Langman in 2020, Silver Ferns coach Dame Noeline Taurua has now tried eight different players in the centre bib.

She sprung a surprise last year when she named usual wing attack Whitney Souness in her Commonwealth Games side and used her mostly at centre.

By the end of this year's January Quad series Kate Heffernan became the preferred centre for New Zealand and she played in that position for most of the World Cup in South Africa.

But in the bronze medal match Heffernan switched to wing defence and Maddy Gordon played at centre, where she's been starting since last month's second Test against England.

Gordon first played in the black dress in March 2021 but was in and out of the side until being picked for July's World Cup and appears to have finally cemented herself in the side.

It has felt at times that Silver Ferns selectors were second guessing themselves over the midcourt, with the sheer number of players they've experimented with over the last few years.

For a couple of years now Gordon has displayed all the attributes to be a stellar centre for New Zealand and could have perhaps been bedded into the side earlier.

Dame Noeline Taurua still rates Heffernan as a centre option and said once she mastered wing defence, she could swing into the centre position later in her career, similar to what happened with Laura Langman.

A player the Silver Ferns selectors will be keen to test next year is Paris Lokotui, who was named in the Silver Ferns squad for the first time in August.

Lokotui was identified as a future Silver Fern prior to an ACL injury, which she worked hard to come back from when she got on court for the Tactix this year.

The powerful wing defence, who also plays basketball, may also be seen as a centre option down the track.

The Silver Ferns coach would love to settle on a spine in the midcourt but the wing attack position still throws up some question marks with Mila Reuelu-Buchanan and Whitney Souness both used there during the Constellation Cup.

If Peta Toeava can satisfy selectors that she's fit enough she could be given another chance there.

There's every chance that former Silver Fern Shannon Saunders could find herself back in the side if she has a strong 2024 domestic season, after taking a year out following the birth of her first child.

Saunders was more than a handy back up to starting wing attack Gina Crampton when the Silver Ferns needed impact.

Twin talls

It's a stretch to remember the last time that the Silver Ferns had two tall strike shooters at the same time.

In 2002 the 194cm Daneka Wipiiti made her debut for New Zealand, by which time legendary 190cm shooter Irene van Dyk was established in the side but Wipiiti never really cemented herself.

With only two years between 21-year-old Grace Nweke and 19-year-old Amelia Walmsley, there is the juicy prospect of the Silver Ferns having two talls for at least a couple of World Cup cycles.

Walmsley (192cm), who made her debut a month ago against England, held her own against the toughest defence in the world when she played the bulk of the minutes in the first two tests against Australia.

Coming back from her World Cup ending injury, Nweke (193cm) built up to a full game in the final test of the Constellation Cup where she had her best ever outing against Australian goal keep Courtney Bruce.

Nweke showed how far she has come since making her debut two years ago, and Walmsley could be on a similar trajectory.

The Silver Ferns will be working towards getting more movement out of Walmsley but Dame Noeline said it was heartening to know they had two big shooters.

But where does that leave Maia Wilson?

Since stepping in commendably at the Netball World Cup when Nweke got injured, Wilson has only had 38 minutes court time over the last two series.

Wilson seemed unstoppable in March 2021 when she was a key part of the Silver Ferns team that won the Constellation Cup for only the second time.

But the Silver Ferns midcourters are struggling to feed the 48 Test international.

Wilson's best bet might be to play goal attack at the Silver Ferns level and it's a position New Zealand doesn't have much depth in anyway.

This week Netball New Zealand said selectors had opted to rest Wilson from next month's FAST5 Netball World Series, following a high workload over the past two years.

The Silver Ferns will be hoping that goal attack Ameliaranne Ekenasio will stick around for some time to come. The captain showed her class again during the Taini Jamison and Constellation Cup.

Georgia Heffernan might be the next player off the rank to be given an opportunity on the international level.

The Stars new recruit Rahni Samason, who has been playing in the Australian league, could be thrown into the conversation next year as she's also eligible to play for New Zealand.

Unit defence

Over the years the Silver Ferns have traditionally been known for their dynamic team defence, which could strike fear into oppositions.

Built on the back of unit defence rather than individuals, that's exactly what we saw in the final test of the Constellation Cup when the New Zealand defenders picked up their most intercepts of the series.

Karin Burger and Kelly Jury were brilliant but they were also working for each other and Kate Heffernan at wing defence helped build up the pressure.

We've only seen that it in snippets over the last couple of years but it was a relief to see it in full flight by the end of the trans-Tasman series.

"When we are connected and play together we're at our best, that's the Kiwi style and how we play is working with each and creating ball," Burger said.

Burger might be the only goal defence New Zealand has at this point in time who can truly run hard with a world class goal attack for 60 minutes.

Vice captain Phoenix Karaka tends to play well against slightly lower ranked sides but doesn't have consistent success against the likes of Australia.

Jane Watson got very little court time over the last two series but offers something so different at goal keep and Dame Noeline will be hoping she can bring her best form in next year's ANZ Premiership.

With a history of foot issues Watson might be on borrowed time.

Kate Burley didn't get her long awaited debut during the Constellation Cup but January's Quad series might be her best bet.

With Elle Temu moving to Australia, the two young defenders that selectors will be keeping a close eye on are Parris Mason and Carys Stythe, who were named in the Silver Ferns development squad for the first time in August.

Super subs

One of the most pleasing aspects of the Constellation Cup was the impact that the substitutions made.

It was a real contrast to the Netball World Cup when the changes made during the tournament just didn't seem to make much difference.

Dame Noeline Taurua made a number of timely substitutions during the Tests against Australia, most of which had a positive effect on the game.

Whitney Souness almost instantly helped open the attacking end up when she subbed in for Mila Reuelu-Buchanan in the last two tests.

"I'm still learning myself with this current group as to when they do come on what do they bring. And that's probably a step up from the past, probably even in Netball World Cup, where they've been able to come on and they've made an impact.

"Tiana Metuarau made an impact, at that moment it changed the game. Then when the change needs to happen Ameliaranne [Ekenasio] will come on and shoot the lights out and bring a bit of calmness," Dame Noeline said.

"Then Whitney's got the speed and then you make the change again and that's sort of been quite fruitful for us as well."

Across her coaching tenure Dame Noeline has typically been very in tune with her substitutions and it felt like she regained some of her mojo after a tough World Cup.

The Silver Ferns coach will decide after January's Quad series if she wants to stay on in the job.

Despite the two wins against Australia, Dame Noeline believed her side could have won by more if it hadn't been for soft turnovers.

"I feel we are a better team than what we're currently producing which probably when you look at it is quite scary for the opposition. So there's more of an upside for us but there's more growth more learnings that need to happen in this team and more experience that we've got to fast-track these players so they know what it's like when they are under pressure."

Four years is a long time in netball and things can change quickly but the popular coach might find it hard to walk away from a team that promises so much.