Silver Ferns World Cup selections on point

The Silver Ferns
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The Silver Ferns team named for the Netball World Cup might not have been met with widespread approval on Wednesday, but it’s hard to fault the selectors’ logic.

In revealing her 12-strong side to contest the 2023 World Cup in Cape Town, coach Dame Noeline Taurua named six players set to make their debut at netball’s pinnacle event.

Grace Nweke, Maia Wilson, Whitney Souness, Maddy Gordon, Kate Heffernan and Kelly Jury will be heading to their first World Cup in July.

Shooter Te Paea Selby-Rickit, midcourter Gina Crampton and the defensive trio of Jane Watson, Karin Burger, and Phoenix Karaka, along with captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio, will return to help win the title again they won in Liverpool, 2019.

The biggest question mark was who would win the battle for the two remaining midcourt positions outside of starting wing attack Crampton, and centre-wing defence slide Heffernan.

In the end it was the Pulse duo of Gordon and Souness who got the nod.

The biggest reaction was surprise, even shock over the omission of Mystics wing attack Peta Toeava, who has 8 Test caps for New Zealand.

Peta Toeava
Photo: Aaron Gillions / www.photosport.nz

Toeava has a deft touch when she feeds the ball to her shooters and brings a lot of razzle dazzle, which might explain in part why fans are so invested in the midcourter.

A lot of weight has been put on the two Tests that Toeava played last year against the Diamonds in the first leg of the Constellation Cup, in which she performed very well.

Toeava was being marked by debutante Amy Parmenter, with first choice wing defence Ash Brazill taking a break after the Commonwealth Games.

When the Silver Ferns crossed the ditch to play the last two Tests in Australia, the Diamonds were just far far better than they were in New Zealand, when they were without defender Jo Weston and a bit out of sorts.

When the Diamonds players came out with greater ferocity in the second leg, most of the performances of the Silver Ferns’ players dipped and there’s no guarantee that Toeava wouldn’t have also struggled.

While she has a great connection with shooter Grace Nweke at the Mystics, the selectors would also know that Toeava has a high number of turnovers compared to Crampton, despite probably handling the ball less.

Nweke is so dominant in the ANZ that the Mystics’ midcourters have more opportunities to lob the ball from down court.

The Silver Ferns won the 2019 World Cup in Liverpool.
Photo: Alex Whitehead /SWpix.com / Photosport

It’s a luxury that the Silver Ferns’ midcourters probably won’t have in games against the best in the world.

Dame Noeline talked about the importance of having an ‘engine room’ in the midcourt. Players like Gordon and Souness who can go and go again.

Former Silver Ferns’ coach Yvonne Willering said none of the selections surprised her.

“Not only are you looking for experience you are also looking at potential combinations. I think it’s a very balanced team and I indicated quite a way back that there were not going to be many specialists.”

Willering said Maddy Gordon had been consistent throughout the ANZ Premiership including in pressure games.

“She used to come out and she used to go at 100 miles per hour but she didn’t have a lot of structure to her game.

“I think that’s changed, she has a lot of structure, she knows what she’s doing and she’s going to be fast through that midcourt and I think they need that fast midcourt both on attack and on defence.”

Willering said all four shooters deserved their spot in the team based on their accuracy and the variety they provided.

She said having a strong back up for starting goal shooter Grace Nweke was essential.

Captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

“We can’t just rely on Grace, we know how formidable she is but you’ve got to have different combinations.

“There’s certain teams like Australia and Jamaica they are very aware of where she stands so there may be at times a tactical change to the team whereby you have probably a little bit more of a mobile shooting circle.”

Tiana Metuarau, Mila Reuelu-Buchanan, and Sulu Fitzpatrick were named as the three travelling reserves.

There wasn’t room for Toeava there either because a midcourt reserve needs to be able to cover more than one position.

There was no real ‘bolter’ as such named in the 15 and Willering said it would be too risky to take a stand out newbie like Amelia Walmsley or Carys Stythe in the reserves.

“These are not players you would have taken to the World Cup, they are unknown in international competition but they may get that opportunity later in the year.”

Even the most prodigious talent needs time to get used to international competition. Nweke’s first few matches in the black dress weren’t plain sailing.

Crampton is the most experienced Silver Fern named with 63 test caps to her name. Karaka has 50 Test caps and is the only player named heading to a third World Cup.

Karin Burger is likely to be a starter at the World Cup.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

It’s a huge contrast to the 2019 World Cup team, which had a strong reliance on veterans like Maria Folau, Casey Kopua, Laura Langman, who were at their fourth World Cup.

Add Katrina Rore, who was at her third World Cup, and you had an incredible 500-plus Test caps between that quartet.

Willering said the 2023 team has a collective strength.

“What we have got is a really strong what I call ‘team’ and it’s the collective unit that really needs to come to the party and I see no reason why they can’t do that, I think it’s a very good team selection.”

While they might not boast the Test caps that the ‘fossils’ did, Jane Watson and Ameliaranne Ekenasio emerged as stars from that 2019 tournament.

After taking some time out to have children, the pair showed their class during this year’s domestic competition and will be key figures again at the World Cup.

Grace Nweke and Kate Heffernan are already starting to make their mark on the international stage having been named the shooter and midcourter respectively at January’s Quad series.

Burger, who sat on the bench during the crunch games at the last world cup, should be unleashed as a starter in Cape Town after a sensational ANZ Premiership season.