Netball: My players aren't thugs - Plummer

SYDNEY - Australian netball coach Norma Plummer has rejected claims of on-court "thuggery" and says Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic need to look in the mirror for answers to their poor finish to the season.

Plummer was in the stands as New Zealand's best team plummeted out of the trans-Tasman league in Hamilton on Sunday with a 37-51 defeat to Adelaide Thunderbirds in the preliminary final.

The outspoken Australian coach said Magic defender Joline Henry had no grounds for saying: "It's disappointing when teams have to resort to thuggery out there."

Plummer told NZPA: "I didn't see it that way at all; I saw two teams contesting the ball and no one was going to back down.

"There was a bit of lip coming from a few players but I didn't see any malice.

"It's pretty sad coming from Joline who's quite a physical player herself and never takes a backward step."

She felt Henry's comments reflected frustration in the dynamics in the Silver Ferns-laden Magic side, coached by Noeline Taurua, who were runners-up to Sydney Swifts a year ago.

Plummer said the Magic's recent performances, including heavy defeats to grand finalists Melbourne Vixens and the Thunderbirds, wasn't necessarily a reflection of the state of New Zealand netball.

"Magic were struggling from the time they played West Coast Fever and they really need to look at their own camp as to what went wrong.

"The connection just wasn't there on the court and I don't think the top-seven were played all the time. You need to cement your team, they've got to be given time together."

She said the Thunderbirds' England defender Geva Mentor did a brilliant job on star shooter Irene van Dyk, and felt the Thunderbirds had "turned a huge corner" and would be very hard to beat in the final in Melbourne.

Plummer said the Magic's struggles would mean nothing when the Silver Ferns and Australia face off in five tests on both sides of the Tasman in September.

"It would be remiss of me to sit here and say `ha ha, there's no New Zealand team in the final'.

"It will be a totally different side, a different coach, a different environment; it will be a very good Ferns team that we have to counteract. It's going to be another classic series."

And Plummer said she would be disappointed if any claims of thuggery were made against her side in September.

"The Ferns will have the likes of Temepara George coming back in, and players like Sheryl Scanlan and Katrina Grant; none of them are going to take a backward step."

New Zealand and Australia both play a World Seven in coming weeks before the trans-Tasman series opens in Sydney on September 6.

- NZPA