Netball: Star 'in dark' on agent's demand

Doubt surrounds whether Silver Ferns shooter Irene van Dyk knew of a reported $1.45 million her manager was seeking from the Capital Shakers for her return to the Wellington franchise.

It is understood van Dyk knew her manager, Louise Newcombe, was in talks with the Shakers but was unaware of the asking price.

Newcombe wasn't answering questions yesterday. In a statement, she said: "Irene chose to be committed to the Magic team for the long term regardless of any money offered. It is the beginning of the National Bank Cup, which is always an exciting competition; our focus is on the games at hand.

"There are always two sides to a story, the figures spoken of are not in the realms of reality. We don't want to comment on what is now history."

Netball New Zealand said yesterday the issue was nothing to do with them. It was between the player and franchise. A sponsor of the Shakers, Mahoney Corporation, says it offered van Dyk $170,000 in April last year to shift from the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic to play two seasons for the Shakers.

It received a counter-offer from Newcombe in August, which detailed nine conditions, requiring a total pay package of $1.45 million. It included a $300,000 signing fee and at least $500,000 earnings for each of the two seasons. Newcombe also wanted to be paid $150,000 for her role in securing van Dyk's services and an office in Wellington. Five days later, she dropped the figure to $500,000.

The revelation came after the Shakers were criticised for not trying hard enough to secure top players.

Yesterday, David Mahoney, of Mahoney Corporation, said it wasn't meant to be an attack on van Dyk, the company was just trying to show what it was up against. He said they had met van Dyk and had the impression "she might not have even known what was going on".

Former Southern Sting director Lee Piper said he found the Shakers' offer of $170,000 unbelievable. "I have seen the market go up significantly in the last few years but, to me, that is an incredible amount of money."

He said there are probably 15 or so players in the National Bank Cup on more than $20,000 and maybe one or two above $50,000. "The fact the agent wanted $150,000; in all my dealings the best I have ever done is send an agent a bottle of wine.

"This is not a professional sport. I think we are going to start heading down a track where franchises are going to start to say to Silver Ferns players, 'look, I am sorry but we are employing you and paying you - we are not going to let you go to that Silver Ferns training camp, we need you for our training camp', and the players are going to have to accept it.

"Those are real dangers we face going into this era. I think as a sport we are not geared up to deal with this."

He said Netball New Zealand should be worried. "How are they going to control that sort of thing? Unless they take control of every single player in the National Bank Cup, I don't see how they can."

Former South African international shooter van Dyk played for the Shakers from 2000 to 2002 after moving to New Zealand.

She still lives in Lower Hutt but has played for the Magic since 2003.