Netball: Gerrard shoots from lip at Ferns

Maria Tutaia (centre) is expected to be paired with Irene van Dyk (left) again. Photo / Hawke's Bay Today

Australian defender Mo'onia Gerrard has delivered a brutally honest assessment of the Silver Ferns shooting end ahead of tonight's second Constellation Cup test in Wellington.

The guessing games have been one-sided in the lead-up to the match, with talk centred on which shooting combination Australian coach Norma Plummer will opt to start.

Diamonds captain Sharelle McMahon and Natalie Medhurst were outstanding in Australia's opening 48-43 win in Adelaide, but with experienced campaigners Catherine Cox and Susan Pratley also vying for court time, Plummer is expected to go with a different frontline for the second test.

There'll be no such surprises in the New Zealand line-up with Ruth Aitken having few options beyond her regular pairing of Irene van Dyk and Maria Tutaia.

The 23-year-old Mystics star has been the preferred option to partner van Dyk in the shooting circle for the past three seasons.

Gerrard, who was named player of the match in Sunday's opening test, said she has matched up on the pair long enough to know what rattles their cages. And she takes comfort in knowing once she does get on top of the New Zealand shooters, there is little they can turn to on the bench.

"Their depth is something they definitely need to work on ... Maria has been there for a while now, so I guess they've been expecting more than she's been dishing out," Gerrard said.

"And I don't know what they're going to do when Irene leaves, she's not getting any younger.

"[Netball New Zealand] really need to work on developing their juniors, the talent is out there, they just need to find it."

Gerrard's comments won't be a revelation for Netball New Zealand. Developing their depth and improving pathways for elite netballers is an area where high-performance manager Tracey Fear and her team are making huge strides.

But with the Commonwealth Games just over a month away and a short turnaround before next year's world championships, it will be the short-term scenario that is of most concern for the New Zealand camp.

This week's tests are the last remaining opportunities for Aitken to test combinations ahead of the Delhi tournament.

But before throwing the likes of Daneka Wipiiti and Grace Rasmussen into the pressure-cooker environment of a transtasman test, Aitken must ensure her starting line function smoothly.

And after being shut down in the latter stages of Sunday's opening test, Aitken is backing her shooters to make the necessary adjustments tonight. Former Silver Fern Belinda Colling has been in camp in Wellington this week working one-on-one with the shooters, concentrating on technique and movement.

Aitken also believes there are bigger improvements to be made in their through court attack. She said the breakdown in the shooting circle was symptomatic of the team's failure to bring the ball through court with any real fluency.

The Ferns were unable to get any length to their play, instead labouring the ball through court with short, stilted passes.

"If we can get the ball to circle edge we can keep Irene's movements to inside the circle rather than her coming out. It's just really that confidence in bringing that ball through court, putting it in to space and us really attacking aggressively."

WATCHING BRIEF

Silver Ferns v Australia

* Match 2 of the Constellation Cup
* Tonight 7.30
* TSB Arena, Wellington
* Live on TV One