Netball: Hope for Lund of glory in Silver Ferns' circle

Jessica Tuki needs a big upturn in form if she is to secure a place in the Silver Ferns' team for the world championships. Phil Walter / Getty Images

Her strong Australian accent resounds down the phone line with her infectious laugh.

But make no mistake, Tanya Lund would do anything to wear the silver fern in next year's world netball championships.

This month's national provincial championships (NPC) are the final chance for Silver Ferns hopefuls, like Lund, to earn themselves a place in the New Zealand squad from which the world championship team will come.

For the world championships it is preferable to have an even split of four shooters, four midcourters and four defenders, which allows for ample backup.

The makeup of the Silver Ferns team to play Australia next month is three shooters (veterans Irene van Dyk, Belinda Colling and rising star Maria Tutaia), four middies and five defenders.

With Colling still unsure whether she will play at the world championships and uncertainty surrounding Jodi Te Huna and how well she will recover from her knee operation, shooting back-up is clearly needed. The question is who?

At the moment all signs are pointing to Sydney-born Lund, who was dumped from the Australian team the Hunter Jaegers last season, where she had spent two years sitting on the the bench - or as she puts it, acting as "the official water girl".

After just one season in the franchise competition, where she played a key role in the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic's defence of the National Bank Cup, Lund will almost certainly secure a place in the New Zealand squad and then maybe, just maybe - depending on Te Huna's form and whether or not Colling retires - could earn herself a place in the Silver Ferns world championship team.

"It would be the best thing that has ever happened to me," said Lund, whose parents were New Zealand-born.

"But there are plenty of other girls who are out there working for that and have the same dreams and aspirations as me."

At the moment Lund has two things in her favour. First, she has already established a handy relationship with van Dyk.

Second, she made a good impression when she accompanied the Silver Ferns to Australia in July as a training partner.

There is also the possibility that she can provide backup at wing attack.

"I'd like to work on it," Lund said of wing attack. "I know I can feed but if it was going to be a main job there are little bits I'd need to work on."

What could count against her is that she is playing for Bay of Plenty in the NPC rather than Waikato where it could be harder to make her mark.

Ideally it would have been good to see Lund playing for Waikato and Dawson said that as far as she was aware Lund had not asked to terminate her Bay of Plenty contract. Dawson also stressed how important it was for the Magic, a dual-region franchise, to have strong Waikato and Bay of Plenty teams.

Asked if she wished she was playing for Waikato, Lund said: "Yes and no. We have a lot of awesome talent in the Bay side, it is upcoming talent whereas Waikato is established and they have got their players."

The other contender for a shooting spot in the Silver Ferns squad is Otago's Jessica Tuki provided she has a dramatic form turnaround.

Tuki was called into the Silver Ferns Commonwealth Games side after Te Huna withdrew but since then has suffered a major slump in form which saw her end the National Bank Cup with a 52 per cent shooting record.

Her demise highlights how quickly things can change. Going into the Commonwealth Games, Silver Ferns coach Ruth Aitken had four shooters - van Dyk, Tutaia, Te Huna and Colling - and Tuki on the rise. Now she can be sure only of van Dyk and Tutaia.

But she does have a promising group coming through in Paula Griffin, Jade Topia, Jamilah Gupwell and Te Huinga Reo Selby-Ricket - one of whom could bolt into the Silver Ferns squad on the back of a good NPC performance.

The midcourt situation is not quite as concerning as the shooting end, but a backup wing attack for captain Adine Wilson is needed.

Waikato's Liana Barrett-Chase who, like Lund, travelled with the Ferns to Australia as a training partner, is a contender, but she will need a strong NPC to secure a spot.

Other middies selectors are likely to be keeping an eye on are Auckland player Rawinia Everitt and Canterbury's Anna Thompson and Julie Seymour.

Everitt is not playing in the NPC but performed well in the New Zealand under-21 side and at the national age-group championship. Ironically on defence, the five current players in the New Zealand side - Vilimaina Davu, Casey Williams, Joline Henry, Anna Scarlett and Leana de Bruin - are not so much playing to get in the world championship team but to stay in it.

To achieve the ideal even split, one of the defenders will have to go to make way for another shooter.

"We've certainly have got dilemmas in all areas of the court," Aitken said.

She's not wrong there.