Let Taumaunu rule court again

Waimarama Taumaunu. Photo / Getty Images

Wai Taumaunu deserves another spell as Silver Ferns coach.

The appointment process for the next cycle begins this week, with Netball New Zealand to advertise the position globally.

Taumaunu will still be in charge for the Constellation Cup series, with the next term to begin after that and continue to the end of the 2019 season.

Despite the failure to land a major trophy in her four-year tenure, there are signs of hope for the next few years.

New Zealand's performance in Sydney probably exceeded expectations, comfortably beating England in the semifinals before pushing Australia closer than some anticipated in the final.

This was a vastly different situation to the last World Cup. Then, a golden Ferns generation faced a raw Australian team but a lack of on-court composure and some conservative choices by coach Ruth Aitken consigned the Ferns to a surprise defeat.

This year was Australia's turn to shine but this current crop of Diamonds can't go on forever.

For the Ferns, the performances of youngsters such as Malia Paseka and Bailey Mes were encouraging and Taumaunu showed courage to gamble on such a young team ahead of Sydney.

She has developed great depth in the past four years, partly because she had to, which contrasts with the situation she inherited at the end of the 2011 season. The shooting end is a pertinent example — how good can Mes, Paseka and Ameliaranne Wells become in the next few years?

Sydney also felt like a return to the traditional New Zealand style: less predictable and perhaps riskier but with the potential for great reward. Taumaunu also deserves credit for introducing a specialist shooting coach, Vicki Wilson.

She's also been willing to change and evolve her style. Taumaunu has given the players more control over the environment and extended the leadership group.

There have also been mitigating factors for Taumaunu. She has had to manage the retirement of Irene van Dyk — probably the most influential New Zealand netballer of the modern era — which has proven even harder than expected (the pool play victory in Sydney was the first over Australia without Van Dyk since 1999). Taumaunu has also had to contend with the unprecedented threat of Caitlin Bassett who has become near unstoppable in the international arena.

Of course, Taumaunu has yet to decide if she wants to throw her hat in the ring for another term. But apart from her, only Noelene Taurua and Debbie Fuller appeal as realistic local options for the job.