Silver Ferns' selector Leigh Gibbs has been fine tuning her selection radar as far back as the mid 1990s.
It will put her in good stead as anticipation builds towards Commonwealth Games selections.
The Silver Ferns' selectors have a big few weeks ahead of them. As a result of Covid postponements, just 27 out of 45 regular season games have been completed so far in the ANZ Premiership.
Leigh Gibbs was honoured with Life Membership of Netball New Zealand in 2017. Photo: ©Michael Bradley Photography 2017.
The next 20 games including finals will be packed into the next four weeks and couldn't be more important as players try and impress.
The selection panel is also made up of Adrianne Hayes, Gail Parata and of course Silver Ferns' coach Dame Noeline Taurua, who ultimately has the final say.
But over the years Gibbs has found that selectors generally come to the same conclusion.
"Because the conversations around players are ongoing and we are seeing them frequently and we have the data collection, I haven't had that experience where there's been 'okay well the coach has the final say' ultimately they do, but in my experience it's been a really good process to get to where we all agree," Gibbs said.
On 15 June a Silver Ferns' trial squad will be selected of up to 27 players - just under half the total number of contracted players in the ANZ Premiership.
From those trials the Games squad will be named, as well as the Silver Ferns and development squads, and a New Zealand A squad.
There might be an opportunity for three reserve players to head to the Commonwealth Games in the event of Covid or injury impacting the team.
"I think we're waiting on getting clarification around that because in a Commonwealth Games setting there's a restriction around how many players can be within the athletes' village so there would be the 12 plus three in mind and I think that's got to be absolutely signed off."
Gibbs, who is also Netball New Zealand's community coaching manager, said Covid disruptions were having an impact.
"The data is showing some of that [impact], however the beauty of the system now is that we're seeing players over the long term so if they are taking a bit longer because of Covid or even returning from injury we know that we've got data and observation of them at other times."
Gibbs believed there was a bigger pool of players putting their hand up for selection now, than what there might have been in the past.
She said players were being substituted on and off the court far more these days and that had increased again this season as a result of Covid.
"If you did that as a coach and I'm thinking about my time with the Mainland Tactix (from 2012 to 2014) and you made changes it was probably looked upon not so favourably.
"However, because of necessity and potentially the value in having players be really comfortable coming on and hit the ground running, by bringing them in and giving them significant court time, that's building experience and capability.
"I go back to Lois Muir's wonderful saying 'you don't make mistakes on the sideline' and that ability to get on court and really suffer to a certain extent. If the errors are made, having to work your way through it is valuable learning and builds the depth of players that can take the court, and we're seeing that and it's great.
"I suppose the downside of that is players have sometimes got to run out the full 60 and if they haven't been getting the full 60 minutes on court that brings other challenges, hence coming back to the need for a minimum standard of yoyo for the Silver Ferns."
Steel midcourter Kate Heffernan and Tactix captain Kimiora Poi are in the mix for Commonwealth Games selection. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Asked which players had stood out to her this season, Gibbs was artful in not naming anyone.
"The other question that sometimes comes is 'will there be any bolters?' but I think because we're seeing them so frequently and over a number of years now I believe that it's hard to sort of identify one or two.
"I'm excited at the opportunity that players are taking and some differences that they are bringing to the court, no one person is sort of standing out in that sense."
Just who might wear the centre bib in Birmingham is a big mystery.
A lot of fans would love to see development squad member Kimiora Poi back in favour.
So what are the selectors wanting to see from Poi?
"She has wonderful wonderful conditioning and speed ... I think in ALL midcourt positions, that ability to have variety."
Gibbs said the midcourters needed to demonstrate they could change their game up depending on the opposition.
"Australia and England, and then Jamaica are quite different again. Being able to put the fast with the change of pace, the ability to feed with deception, and having those touches on the ball when you're being heavily marked.
"If you're playing Australia and a tall defender is in front of you whose arms are all over you, you need that ability to adjust depending on the opponent.
"You can't afford to play the same way and play at speed at all times so midcourters all need to be able to mix their game up."
Former Silver Ferns' coach Leigh Gibbs speaking to the players in 2006. Photo: Michael Bradley Photography
Gibbs was the Silver Ferns' head coach between 1994 and 1997.
Later she was involved in selections again as assistant coach to Ruth Aitken and then continued as a national selector until she took up a job at Netball Queensland in 2016.
Gibbs became a selector again just over a year ago, having settled back in New Zealand.
So has the process of picking a team become more complex over the years?
"What has helped I believe is the amount of data and also opportunities to observe players. Way back in the 90s the National League hadn't even started, which was the forerunner to ANZ so we were having to select from nationals.
"So you saw a group of players predominantly over a week of netball ... if someone wasn't on their game over that week, you didn't really see them at other times, it was restrictive."
After three decades of honing her craft there's certain things that catch her eye quickly, but Gibbs is careful not to get tunnel vision.
"I'm really mindful of keeping an open mind, not having a sort of pre-determined expectation and that's where it's really good to have a look at data as well, so it's not one thing."
Gibbs said the Silver Ferns might not have the same number of super stars that dominated positions in the past but that meant there were more opportunities.
"There's definitely a changing of the guard, you think of Casey Kopua and Katrina Rore no longer there and Maria Folau ... remember those player weren't overnight successes, they took time.
"We've got some less experience in the mix and having to as selectors make judgements around their capability going into that Commonwealth Games arena.
"We're still having our eyes wide open, we've got a few more rounds to go and that's where the consistency of performances is really important for us to see."
-RNZ