Netball: Game time crucial for rookie Ferns

Relative newcomer Bailey Mes has just come off her first full season in the ANZ Championship. Photo / Dean Purcell

The new-look Silver Ferns attack line are an unknown quantity even to themselves just over three weeks out from the start of the World Cup.

After a disastrous 2014 international season, in which the Ferns stretched their losing run against Australia out to nine games, the national selectors were forced to make some big changes to the team to contest next month's tournament in Sydney.

The line-up features several rookies, particularly in the shooting end, with the addition of uncapped youngster Malia Paseka and the relatively inexperienced Bailey Mes, who has just come off her first full season starting in the ANZ Championship.

Add midcourters Grace Rasmussen and Shannon Francois, who have been unable to cement their place in the Ferns line-up over the past couple of years, and the New Zealand side have an air of unpredictability.

Problem is, they're still getting to know to one another.

Mes, who has had one start against Australia in her 12 tests for the Ferns, believes her side have made strong progress in this area during this week's camp in Auckland. The Ferns hope to develop their strategies and combinations this week, before fine-tuning them in the Taini Jamison series against Fiji and South Africa beginning next Thursday.

"Obviously it's a pretty tight timeframe before the World Cup, but it is all coming together pretty well," said Mes, who is set to play in her first major tournament.

"We've got a lot of variety in there so we're just getting more comfortable with the combinations that haven't played together."

Ferns coach Waimarama Taumaunu said it was important the team spent as much time as possible out on court in the three weeks before their opening match of the tournament on August 7.

"My big thing for this group is game time. Most of our preparation is about getting these players out on court together as much as possible. It is about growing our understanding of each other and getting used to playing with one another."

The national coach got her first proper look at the revamped shooting combination yesterday when the Ferns took on a group of invitees in a full training match. Their opposition included local men's players and some of the NZA team, who were selected to try to mimic the Australian style as much as possible. The team also featured former Fern Anna Harrison, who was given the task of trying to replicate Australian defender Sharni Layton's approach.

The addition of Mes and Paseka along with veterans Maria Tutaia and Jodi Brown gives the Ferns more mobility in their shooting end, and is expected to change up their style markedly from past seasons when the New Zealand shooting circle featured Irene van Dyk and Cathrine Latu, who are predominantly holding shooters.

"We can expect to see a slightly different style, because of the nature of the shooters. The structure is likely to remain pretty similar, but hopefully executed a little bit differently closer to the shooting circle," said Taumaunu.

The Ferns meet Fiji in Porirua next Thursday, before taking on South Africa, coached by former Australian coach Norma Plummer, in Hamilton the following Sunday and Auckland two days later.