Dame Noeline wants collaboration over bottom lines

Silver Ferns' coach Dame Noeline Taurua is finally planning on sitting down this week to sign a contract that will take her through to the World Cup in 2023.

The World Cup winning coach is currently signed up until February next year.

Dame Noeline received a contract extension offer from Netball New Zealand some time ago but admits she's a bit of a procrastinator when it comes to life admin.

"I was looking at that last week and thinking geez I've got to move into that and it's all my fault and I've got that on my to do list," laughed the 52-year-old.

"My intent is I'm going to be there definitely so that's where my heart is, to be there for the next worlds, but I also want to make sure that I'm the right person and that our sport is moving ahead and in the direction that it needs to. So, I've just got to put the space and time to actually make sure those mechanisms are included, let's put it that way in the contracting."

Does that mean she's going to lay down some non-negotiables like she did when she first took on the job?

Before Dame Noeline agreed to take on the job in 2018 she wanted assurances that midcourt maestro Laura Langman would be able to play.

In line with Netball New Zealand policy, Langman had been deemed ineligible for the Ferns because she was playing in the Australian league.

Dame Noeline only had 11 months to turn around the fortunes of the Ferns, so she was racing against the clock to get them ready for the World Cup.

"When I came into the job leading into the worlds, that was the approach that I had prior to signing the contract because it was such a short time frame and there were certain aspects that I actually needed to know that were going to be there so that we could build a base within that short timeframe."

But now she feels she's working in a different space.

"We do have two or three years and it's more about working with others as to how we can be smarter but as a system or a pathway that we can actually work together. So, I don't feel that I have to go into that to stipulate specifically this is what I want because I don't feel that that's helpful."

While there are currently no New Zealand players signed with the Australian league, it's not inconceivable that another eligibility case could arise in the future.

But Dame Noeline is comfortable that a collaborative approach will work best.

"I feel that as long as we're sort of all on the same wavelength, that in my job and how I roll I might have to reposition myself to fit with everybody else as long as we're improving.

"I know that might sound like sort of sixes and sevens but I feel the space we're in we need to do it together and it would be counter-productive if I start pushing my weight around so I've just got to work through that in my own head that I'm specific in regards to my role."

Ticking the boxes

When the Silver Ferns' coach set out a list of goals she wanted to achieve in 2020, she didn't know Covid-19 was going to turn the sport on its head.

Despite that she said her objectives have been ticked off but some of the methods had changed.

"We got international [Tests] out there... we were able to build the depth through the camps, the Cadbury Series and the Taini Jamison and got ANZ out there as well. I think overall the quality of netball has definitely improved."

The Ferns were unbeaten in a four Test series involving the England Roses, Jamaica, and South Africa in January this year and enjoyed a clean sweep against the Roses last month.

But it was their win against the New Zealand Men's team in the final of the Cadbury Series in October, which gave her the most satisfaction.

The Ferns managed to turn a 13 goal loss into a 3 goal win in the space of two days.

"I think we actually took a great leap in overall performance and the shift that we made in regards to just mentally preparing ourselves to take the physicality on.

"I think that was massive and a great step up from what we did last year leading into the worlds so really pleased with that."

But she thinks there's still work to be done on their consistency.

"We weren't able to bring it for our first Test against the England Roses so we had gone a wee bit backwards. But also noting that I know with the planning as well that there was going to be some residue that was going to come out of the build-up that we had.

"All these pieces that we are learning about each other... hopefully will come together as we head into Commonwealth Games or the Worlds in 2023 so we've just got to be patient and make sure we evaluate as we go."

Greater depth

Dame Noeline has been impressed with the athletes coming through and the competition in the midcourt is a good example of that.

"It's fierce, so how do we work that to keep the opportunities alive for everybody but also try and build a spine and head towards the Worlds so we don't want to suffocate that talent as well.

"You've got the Maddy's [Gordon], you've got the Tayla's [Earle] that are coming through, the under 21s. But also some of our stalwart players that have been in the system, the Shannon's [Saunders] who just keep going and grinding so that's been wow, I think the midcourt.

"In our shooting we're starting to get the likes of the Grace's [Nweke] coming through that are just chipping on the heels. Maia [Wilson] who is now starting to cement herself as an international player and we're getting more options at goal attack and goal shoot in our pathways."

She said there was a bit more work to do in the defensive end, particularly the goal defence position.

Phoenix Karaka and 137 Test veteran Katrina Rore are both pregnant, while up and coming defender Michaela Sokolich-Beatson has been ruled out for another year due to a second ruptured Achilles.

The Under 21 side and New Zealand A were also involved in the Cadbury series and Dame Noeline was pleased that a wider group of players were meeting high standards.

"Irrelevant of whether people do make Silver Ferns or not I think the overall thing that we have become better is to actually grow and develop better netballers and I think with ANZ and what we've been able to see everybody knows that we have taken another notch up as with the Silver Ferns as well."

Bring on the Diamonds

Dame Noeline is hanging out for an announcement on the Constellation Cup against World Number 1 ranked Australia.

Netball New Zealand is planning on hosting all of the Constellation Cup games against the Diamonds early next year.

The series between the arch-rivals normally takes place in October but the two sports bodies had to postpone the event due to quarantine requirements and timing.

The postponement meant for the first time since 1988, the arch rivals won't meet in a calendar year.

Netball New Zealand is waiting on the government to give the green light for the Diamonds to travel to New Zealand.

Dame Noeline said there was a lot of planning that needed to happen as soon as she got confirmation.

"In regards to camps and making sure that the Silver Ferns or the squad are as prepared as we can so there's a lot riding on this for us to get these dates and Australia over on our soil just to once again give us a tester as to how far or how close we are to Australia."

She said a highlight for her this year was the way the netball community had come together.

"To some degree Covid has pushed us into that space so that's actually been really cool. We've had to revisit some of the stuff that we used to do in the day that we were so strong at and we were able connect back with the community and that's been a really cool space to work in.

"But also the love of the sport... with our netball community I think we can all agree on that, that we do love our sport."