Sports reporter Bridget Tunnicliffe talks to netball experts from England, Australia and New Zealand, days out from the start of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
Silver Fern Whitney Souness (top left) Jamaican defender Shamera Sterling (top right), Australian shooter Gretel Bueta (bottom left) and England defender Layla Guscoth (bottom right). Photo:
Thrilling gold medal matches have become the norm so it's no surprise netball is one of the most popular sports at the Commonwealth Games.
The England Roses turned the netball world order on its head at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, when they beat Australia by one goal in the last second in the final.
Bridget Tunnicliffe spoke to Australian netball commentator Sue Gaudion, former England coach Anna Stembridge (nee Mayes), and New Zealand ANZ premiership coach Kiri Wills for their thoughts ahead of the 2022 Games.
A four horse race
In the past you could almost guarantee that the Silver Ferns and Australia would meet in the final of a major tournament. But times have changed and the experts see four teams as being capable of winning gold in Birmingham.
Jamaica
Sue Gaudion:
"Jamaica will be the best defensive side at the tournament - they are extraordinary defensively, which means their opportunities with ball in hand will be endless."
"If they can go through reasonably unscathed and find some consistency I would be really frightened playing them in a cross over semi-final."
"Historically Jamaica's greatest problem has been their consistency. I think they've got better in terms of their discipline but it's their consistency that will be the key and their ability to penetrate forward under pressure."
Anna Stembridge:
"If they can get consistency and they can be willing to do the work in terms of their feeders to make sure Jhaniele Fowler is in a great shooting position and flood the attack with the ball winners they have, they are going to be a real threat at these Comm Games."
Shamera Sterling of Jamaica (left). Photo: © Photosport Ltd 2018 www.photosport.nz
Silver Ferns
Kiri Wills:
"I think we are a little bit light shooting wise if players don't step up and shoot as accurately as you need them to. I think at the World Cup the shooters were all shooting 85 percent plus. Now we've got some shooters in there that on a great day they'll shoot 94 percent but they've all shown throughout the ANZ Premiership and the Cadbury Series that they can be knocked around a bit and drop those stats.
"So there's a lot of work to do there but we have a lot of faith and I think our preparation going in has been really good. They've been dealt some very harsh lessons over the Cadbury Series which is great for them, they know where they are and now it's about tidying things up."
Sue Gaudion:
"Inconsistency in shooting accuracy is one thing and you can get away with it to a certain extent but you've got to be able to have a defence end that's capable of getting ball. That was probably the biggest thing I took out of the Cadbury Series - can the Silver Ferns get enough ball defensively to ensure that those moments of inconsistency in attack don't become their downfall?
Silver Fern Whitney Souness. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
England
Kiri Wills:
"I think England have to be favourites just given the experience that they've got but also alongside that experience they've got some really exciting new people in the mix so they also can be a little bit less predictable with their line up as well. You look at that shooting circle there's some versatility there so I think England's looking really good and they would have learnt a lot from Liverpool."
Anna Stembridge:
"The 2019 World Cup in Liverpool was the first time they'd experienced being favourites and you look at the squad now they're already better from having that experience."
"Jess Thirlby would have been working tirelessly with the performance psychologist building on those experiences, what's the learning they've taken from it and ensure that they are using that home games as a real lift."
England Roses defender Layla Guscoth. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Australia
Sue Gaudion:
"I really love our defence end. Great experience but both Sarah Klau and Courtney Bruce have been able to play out the front at goal defence at various times throughout the SSN this year which I think is going to be a huge piece of the puzzle for Marinkovich. And then you add the very elusive Sunday Aryang into her first tournament, she doesn't get too fazed by a great deal."
"I think probably the question mark for Australia will be up front and we've been so used to having a tall target at the front end and we don't have that, we have a Gretel Bueta but she's an athletic moving target as well so it will be interesting to see how that front end shapes for Australia but they will be a threat."
Australian Diamonds shooter Gretel Bueta. Photo: © Photosport Ltd 2022 www.photosport.nz
Players to watch
Shamera Sterling:
The Jamaican goal keep got votes from all three experts.
Sue Gaudion:
"I just love watching this player that does things defensively like not even umpires are aware of what she's doing, it's extraordinary what she's capable of delivering and I'm excited to see if she can take another step with some consistency on the international stage."
Anna Stembridge
"I think she is the best goal keeper in the world currently."
Whitney Souness:
The Silver Ferns midcourter got two votes.
Sue Gaudion:
"Off the back of the Cadbury Series, Whitney Souness, I tell ya, she can move, her vision to the circle, I'm excited to see what she does for the midcourt of the Ferns."
Anna Stembridge:
"I thought Whitney was amazing and really excited to see what she's going to bring at the Commonwealth Games."
Layla Guscoth:
The England defender got two votes.
Anna Stembridge:
"Layla Guscoth I think she's the best goal defence in the world currently and I think with her and Geva Mentor, if they get it together they could be formidable."
Kiri Wills:
"I've been really impressed with her since she burst on to the scene, she gets hand to ball, she's so mobile and quick to get around the shooters, I really love watching her play."
Ellie Cardwell, Liz Watson and Gretel Bueta
England Roses shooter Cardwell, the Australian captain Watson, and Diamonds shooter Bueta got mentions.
Sue Gaudion on Ellie Cardwell:
"She's an anomaly, how do you defend her? What's she going to be like …I'm fascinated. I think she's a player that under all sorts of pressure can do the job so all eyes on her."