Netball: Search is on for best strategy to rein in Aussies

From left: Noeline Taurua, Margaret Foster, Yvonne Willering

A slick Australian side brought the Silver Ferns to a standstill, winning the transtasman series 2-1. Nine months from the world championships, are they in trouble? Three former Silver Ferns analyse their areas of the court.

Attack - Noeline Taurua

The way New Zealand struggled on attack is perhaps one of the most concerning aspects to come out of the series. The Silver Ferns' speed and flow through court was often missing - as were the usually reliable high balls into Irene van Dyk.

"It seems Australia are getting back to their old selves," Taurua said.

"They were tight outside the circle, keeping them off the circle edge - pure one-on-one marking."

Taurua wasn't sure about New Zealand's tactic of van Dyk coming out of the circle to help relieve the pressure.

"It means someone is not doing their job properly. Irene's job is in the circle. She has the goal shoot bib on, so she should be in the circle.

"It is fine for her to go out a few times - but that's all.

"Everyone needs to go back to what their role is and make sure they are doing it. If they are not, then there needs to be some questions asked about them in that position."

Taurua said the New Zealand feeders needed to mix it up more and feed the ball on and off the circle. She also thought more high balls could have gone into the shooters.

"Both those Australian defenders only come up to our shooters' shoulders. If the New Zealand players have a good hold, it should be easy."

One positive, Taurua said, was the performance of Maria Tutaia, who is developing a strong relationship with van Dyk.

She thought Tania Dalton also did "surprisingly well' when she came on in the last test but believes her fitness counted against her.

"I still believe one-on-one the Silver Ferns are better. The scary thing is Australia are starting to form some strong combinations."

Midcourt - Margaret Foster

New Zealand's explosive midcourt combination of Adine Wilson and Temepara George found their match in Selina Gilsenan and Laura von Bertouch.

In recent years, the Silver Ferns have had the edge over their rivals in the midcourt, especially in the centre position, where Australia have struggled to find someone to match George.

"The series really reflected the work-rate Temepara has," Foster said. "Maybe the wheels fell off a bit at the end of that last test but her work-rate was phenomenal.

"I thought Adine Wilson was quite quiet. It is not so much that she is predicable but she does the same movement. Temepara and Adine have played together for so many years ... it would be quite neat to have someone in there who can offer a different dimension.

"There are the likes of Maree Bowden and Liana Barrett-Chase but she is a bit like Temepara. It is time to give someone else a go. We have gone back to experience but put these young ones in there. Look at Maria [Tutaia], she is fronting up."

Like Taurua, Foster would have liked to have seen the ball go into van Dyk more. "What Australia did well, which we usually do well, is get in to the circle edge. They really drove ferociously to get there. Maybe New Zealand need to revisit that."

Foster said it is worrying that Australia are still getting going and they beat New Zealand's best. "It is up to the Silver Ferns to get more creative. It feels like we are quite predictable.

"I don't think going back to the old is the answer. There is no shortage of talent - it is about taking a punt on them."

Defence - Yvonne Willering

The combination between Australia's speedy shooters Sharelle McMahon and Susan Pratley and racy midcourters Laura and Natalie von Bertouch will give the New Zealand defence plenty to ponder.

Willering, who was away and only saw the decider in Christchurch, said the Aussie attack looks slick. "I would question why we didn't do a bit more space marking rather than one-on-one. With the speed Australia have got, they are going to beat us.

"I know Anna Scarlett likes one-on-one because that is what she is used to. It is quite hard when one of the defenders likes man-on-man and the other likes to do space marking - that does not work."

Zone defence has long been a part of the New Zealand game. As to why the Australians have never bothered with it, Willering reckons it is because they are not quite sure of it.

"Australia tend to keep to their own style. That speed Australia used to have, they lost for a while, but it is starting to come back.

"The defence they do, they let the player have the ball then they mark the ball. We don't do as much of that."

Willering said Australia's speed through court had to be curbed before it reached their shooting circle. "The faster that ball comes through the midcourt, the harder it is for your inner-circle defence."

Willering said Australia were a lot better at feeding their shooters. "We didn't have the same flow into our shooters because Irene [van Dyk] got caught running around."

She said defensively New Zealand had a number of options, including Casey Williams, who missed the series through injury.

"You may see some changes leading into the world champs."