Wrap up

Flurry for Ferns as Diamonds delay

Has Ruth Aitken got the right recipe?

The Silver Ferns squad for the 2011 World Championships will be named on Tuesday 19 April. Originally, the team was set to be named after round five, but after the Christchurch earthquake Netball New Zealand decided to postpone the announcement. Australia's Norma Plummer - as usual - takes a different approach and will wait until the end of May to name her team. Plummer told me that it was important to see how players performed in pressure situations, and those tend to multiply near the end of the season and during the playoffs. It also means it gives her as much time as possible to settle on a final dozen for Singapore.
 
So which method is better? Aitken took a similar approach last year, and obviously it paid off with the thrilling victory in Delhi at the Commonwealth Games. She told me that it suits the current group, who like to know where they stand and gives them much longer to work on and think about national combinations. But in 2011 the rush to refine seems to have an element of risk. Stalwarts such as Joline Henry have hardly played this season due to injury, and if picked on Tuesday it will be on reputation rather than form. Others such as Anna Thompson, Grace Rasmussen and Daneka Wipiti have been out of form or out of position, and would relish the chance to prove their worth over four or five more games. The other crucial element is how will the rejected players react? Many have built their whole year around playing at the World Championships and the disappointment of missing out could surely affect their performances in the ANZ Championship.
 

Magic Meltdown

Off the back of consecutive losses, the WBOP Magic will be hoping that history doesn't repeat in 2011 with another late season slump. They looked incredibly shaky against the Swifts, especially given it was a home match. There was a noticeable lack of composure, particularly at the attacking end and for once the illustrious trio of Casey Williams, Laura Langman and Irene van Dyk could not save them. They will win their upcoming home matches against the Tactix and the Pulse, but tricky away ties with the Steel and a resurgent Thunderbirds means a playoff spot is far from secure.

Call for Cathrine

Expect a decision on the Cathrine Latu eligibility situation very soon. Currently the case is being heard by the Sydney branch of the International Court of Arbitration for Sport, who will hand down a binding decision. If there is no verdict by Tuesday, it is likely Latu will be bracketed in the Silver Ferns along with another player. Aitken simply can't afford to leave her out. She had another perfect shooting game last week (42 goals from 42 attempts), the fifth in her career, and with season statistics of 93.1% is the league's most accurate shooter.
 

Gun shy Steel

After a bumper 2010, where they rolled into the playoffs on the back of a thrilling late season surge, the Steel have struggled all year to gain momentum. While they have not been helped by a tough injury toll, the main catalyst has been their form in the attacking circle. Quite simply, they have been unable to find a replacement for Megan Dehn, who was so effective as a goal attack last year. Four times this season they have only managed to score in the 30's (34 vs Mystics in round one, 36 vs WBOP Magic in round two, 36 vs Firebirds in round four and 33 vs Vixens in round eight), which is extremely low by ANZ Championship standards. Recently they have resorted to playing Wipiti at goal attack and Paula Griffith at goal shoot but not much has changed.
 

Insurance for injuries

It is generally recognised in professional sport that coaches allow for about 15% of their squad to be absent through injury at any one time. While this figure can vary, it seems injuries are beginning to play a bigger part this season. Mystics Joline Henry has missed most of the season through injury, while the loss of Sharelle McMahon is a huge blow for the Vixens. Now Firebirds pivot Lauren Nourse, who is the key feeder into Romelda Aiken, is also ruled out for an undefined number of games.

Vexing Vector

Great to see a fantastic crowd of over 5,000 - the biggest for a ANZ Championship match in the North Island - turn out for the charity match at Vector Arena last week. If the Mystics get the opportunity to have a home semi-final will they be tempted now to take it to Vector? The only puzzling question from the game was the lack of city centre workers. While plenty of netball faithful travelled in from the suburbs, my sources tell me there was a noticeable lack of office workers from the CBD in the crowd which was surprising in itself, given the early evening start to the match played just a stroll away from most offices.