By JULIE ASH
Young Auckland Waitakere players Maria Tutaia and Katrina Grant caught the attention of Silver Ferns coach Ruth Aitken at Palmerston North this week.
Aitken will name the New Zealand squad at the end of the national provincial championship tournament on Saturday.
Also named will be a national under-21 squad and A squad.
Tutaia and Grant, who are members of the national under-21 side, have been standout performers for Auckland Waitakere.
While it may be a little too soon for them to step into the New Zealand squad, Aitken has been impressed with the way the pair have performed against more experienced opponents.
"It was wonderful to see those young players out there for Auckland Waitakere ...
"You don't know until you give people an opportunity. I see the likes of Maria and Katrina, who have improved from one series to the next. That is so exciting."
Aitken described the first few days of the tournament as a little "up and down" but said that could only be expected considering teams had to front up day after day.
"It is a hard, grinding week so it is hard for it to be fantastic netball all the time.
"Probably the likes of Waikato and North, who have great depth in their bench, have a real advantage in being able to rest those key players."
Australia this week named the squad who will take on the Silver Ferns in Australia in November.
Missing is star goal attack Sharelle McMahon, who is out with an ankle injury, fellow shooter Eloise Southby-Halbish, who also has an ankle problem, and centre Susan Meaney, who was forced out with a shoulder injury.
Aitken said it would be a different side without McMahon.
"She has been a real key playmaker for them ... Their shooting combination will be a different sort of game-plan perhaps, so we'll have to look at things a bit differently from our analysis."
Australia have named 15 players. Normally 12 are named prior to a series but an adjustment to the rules of this series allows for teams to announce their playing dozen just 24 hours before each test.
New Zealand might consider doing the same in future home tests.
"There are pluses and minuses to it," Aitken said. "Sometimes it is nicer to just have the 12 and work on it, but then sometimes you think it can broaden it and give other people experience."
Netball: Newcomers get Aitken's approval
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