Reps to ?get tough

Wairarapa player-coach Kelly Sargent has a simple message for her players leading into their opening regional super league netball match against Mana at the Genesis Recreation Centre in Masterton on Friday evening??"get physical".
Sargent has had the benefits of playing at national league level herself and readily concedes the regional competition won't be quite as demanding as that.
But she says it will still be much different physically from what her team members regularly experience on the local inter-club scene.
"There's no question they have to toughen up," she said. "They have to go hard for the ball even if it means getting into contact situations. Otherwise we'll be history."
Sargent agrees that tactics of this type could test the patience of referees but she believes the top whistle blowers are apt to allow a greater measure of "push and shove" these days.
"We tend to get pulled up in club games for every little contact but that's something which doesn't happen higher up," she said. "You get more leeway there and that's something we're going to have to come to grips with."
Sargent knows too that the super league competition will test the fitness of her players, and also their ability to play a style of netball suited to indoor courts.
"It will be all about quick, flat passing and moving onto the ball at speed,"she said."You won't get many rest periods, hardly any at all."
Sargent is also keen for her side to come up trumps in the decision making department, to show they can think on their feet.
"Tactically, not a lot changes over the course of a game at club level but that won't be the case for us," she said. "We'll find opposing teams making subtle changes from time to time in that respect and we'll have to keep up with the play there too"
Sargent anticipated naming her starting seven for Friday's night's game after a training session at the Genessis Recreation Centre last night and with all 14 squad members impressing with their enthusiasm and dedication in training she was not exactly looking forward to making the annoucement.
"Quite honestly it hasn't been a case of who to select but who to leave out," she said.
"There are going to be some players who are very unlucky not to be there."
One of the big questions over team selection will, in fact, revolve around where Sargent will position herself.
She has played a lot of her higher level netball as a defender but is also a more-than-competent goal shoot and is leaning towards appearing there against Mana.
If that is the case then those in line to partner her in that role are the experienced Geraldine Carroll and youngsters Kim Holstead and Abby Hull.
"Hopefully the shooting area won't be a problem,"Sargent said. "We've got a handy amount of depth there and I'm pretty confident we'll do the job."
Some doubts do exist though over the avilaibility of St Matthew's Collegiate student Rosie Mahoney, who plays in defence. She is battling a knee injury and may need to be rested.
The full Wairarapa squad is: Kelly Sargent, Sarah Brooking, Rosie Mahoney, Cindy Cooper, Lisa Butler, Carlene Karaitiana, Emma Bunny, Kelly Matthews, Geraldine Carroll, Ella Biggs, Abby Hull, Kim Holstead, Lisa Manihera, Ashleigh Somerville.