New Year starts with a bang for the Silver Ferns
January 25, 2017
SKY Sport NZ commentator Jenny Woods is back in 2017 with her first Commentator’s Call ahead of the Netball Quad Series and two-Test Series of Wales.
The Silver Ferns have a great opportunity to start the year with a bang – and some silverware.
Their first Test of 2017 is against Australia and kicks off the Netball Quad Series, which then moves on to England.
Janine Southby has a season under her belt, and together with assistant Yvette McCausland-Durie and captain Katrina Grant, is shaping a new-look side.
Two new players are making the trip … Kelly Jury comes in to the defensive end, while Sam Sinclair joins the midcourt.
RELATED: Summer Netball fix is here thanks to SKY Sport NZ
Many have liked the look of Jury since she came on to the scene with the WBOP Magic in 2015. At 192cm, the 20-year-old is the tallest defender to be selected for the Silver Ferns tour, and is just one centimetre shorter than Australia’s lethal weapon Caitlin Bassett.
However she won’t get the chance to stand against Bassett this time. The world’s best shooter is one of several senior Australian players giving the Netball Quad Series a miss. Others are Natalie Medhurst and Madi Robinson.
It’s dangerous territory to describe any Australian Netball side as vulnerable, but this is a good time to like the Ferns’ chances. They are without Kayla Cullen, Phoenix Karaka and Storm Purvis, all taking extra time to get injuries right ahead of the ANZ Premiership. Cullen certainly is a loss, but this is a strong team and should be favourites for the title.
England has been particularly disappointing in recent times, even dropping a series at home against Jamaica last year. That same Jamaican team had been easily beaten just a couple of months before, on tour in this country.
PLAYER PROFILES: Silver Ferns
The Roses need to watch their back. They go into this series without their game breakers Jo Harten and Serena Guthrie. Let alone New Zealand and Australia, they could be vulnerable to a South African side going in the other direction. The Proteas are building each year thanks to better structures and improved domestic competition. Norma Plummer is revelling in her role as Head Coach and is adamant the improvement in her side will continue.
Her side, led by Bongi Msomi and already featuring the likes of Erin Burger and Karla Mostert, is further strengthened by the return of Vanes-Mari du Toit. What’s particularly interesting about du Toit’s inclusion is that she comes in as a shooter, rather than defender.
As a footnote for those who live in the top half of the North Island … the Silver Ferns v Australia clash is at 2am on Sunday 29 January, which means diehards who watch it live will have Anniversary Day on the Monday to recover!
The Silver Ferns have a great opportunity to start the year with a bang – and some silverware.
Their first Test of 2017 is against Australia and kicks off the Netball Quad Series, which then moves on to England.
Janine Southby has a season under her belt, and together with assistant Yvette McCausland-Durie and captain Katrina Grant, is shaping a new-look side.
Two new players are making the trip … Kelly Jury comes in to the defensive end, while Sam Sinclair joins the midcourt.
RELATED: Summer Netball fix is here thanks to SKY Sport NZ
Many have liked the look of Jury since she came on to the scene with the WBOP Magic in 2015. At 192cm, the 20-year-old is the tallest defender to be selected for the Silver Ferns tour, and is just one centimetre shorter than Australia’s lethal weapon Caitlin Bassett.
However she won’t get the chance to stand against Bassett this time. The world’s best shooter is one of several senior Australian players giving the Netball Quad Series a miss. Others are Natalie Medhurst and Madi Robinson.
It’s dangerous territory to describe any Australian Netball side as vulnerable, but this is a good time to like the Ferns’ chances. They are without Kayla Cullen, Phoenix Karaka and Storm Purvis, all taking extra time to get injuries right ahead of the ANZ Premiership. Cullen certainly is a loss, but this is a strong team and should be favourites for the title.
England has been particularly disappointing in recent times, even dropping a series at home against Jamaica last year. That same Jamaican team had been easily beaten just a couple of months before, on tour in this country.
PLAYER PROFILES: Silver Ferns
The Roses need to watch their back. They go into this series without their game breakers Jo Harten and Serena Guthrie. Let alone New Zealand and Australia, they could be vulnerable to a South African side going in the other direction. The Proteas are building each year thanks to better structures and improved domestic competition. Norma Plummer is revelling in her role as Head Coach and is adamant the improvement in her side will continue.
Her side, led by Bongi Msomi and already featuring the likes of Erin Burger and Karla Mostert, is further strengthened by the return of Vanes-Mari du Toit. What’s particularly interesting about du Toit’s inclusion is that she comes in as a shooter, rather than defender.
As a footnote for those who live in the top half of the North Island … the Silver Ferns v Australia clash is at 2am on Sunday 29 January, which means diehards who watch it live will have Anniversary Day on the Monday to recover!