Netball: Ferns face up to being favourites

The Silver Ferns gathered in Auckland for their first camp of the year yesterday adamant that complacency was not going to be an issue heading into the Commonwealth Games.

Following their record 61-36 win over arch-rivals Australia in November, the Silver Ferns will go into the Games as gold medal favourites. However, Silver Ferns coach Ruth Aitken believes there is nothing worse than a wounded Australian, especially on home turf.

"All the players and I believe that we will have to be better to ensure success this year. Australia will never be like they were there ever again, and we can't ever expect it.

"We have to ensure we keep pushing forward and keep working hard. There are a lot of things we still see that need improving. You see the potential in them, and you want it realised."

Aitken said fitness testing, team-building activities and training sessions were on the agenda during the three-day camp along with games against the New Zealand A side.

The 12 players were given a holiday assignment that required them to investigate other sports in terms of techniques and tactics that could be applied to netball.

Yesterday's session started off with a series of hockey drills that by no means would have had the Black Sticks worried.

The session was the Silver Ferns first as a team, but they have been meeting in groups in their regions over the past two months.

North Harbour midcourter Temepara George sat out the session and will take a limited part in the camp. She is in her final week of recovery following minor knee surgery.

The team will travel to Sydney next month for a series of games against Australian sides before departing for Melbourne and the Commonwealth Games in early March.