Netball: Team defence exposed after trio join Ferns

Catherine Latu. Photo / Brett Phibbs

The elevation of young defenders Kayla Cullen and Sulu Tone-Fitzpatrick to the Silver Ferns has left Auckland Waitakere with a big gap to plug in their defensive line for the remainder of their NPC campaign.

The two 19-year-olds were this week named in the side to take on England next month, joining their Auckland teammate Cathrine Latu as the newcomers to the side.

The trio's selection means they will be unable to take any further part in the national championships, which enter the third round this weekend.

Latu said she was delighted to be named in the Ferns but admitted it put her provincial side, who have lost their opening two match-ups, in a bit of a bind.

"It is really great to see [Cullen and Tone-Fitzpatrick] rewarded. I'm sure our Auckland Waitakere NPC team aren't going to be too happy, but they were all given the heads up and they're all very proud of us," said Latu.

Auckland Waitakere coach Te Aroha Keenan was already resigned to losing Latu. With her eligibility now confirmed, the former Samoan shooter's selection on Monday was a formality given Netball New Zealand had gone to extraordinary lengths to get Latu included in the Ferns before she had served out her four-year stand-down.

While Keenan was also expecting Cullen to get the call-up, losing two rising stars from her defensive end was not an eventuality she had planned for. "We already had a contingency plan in place for Cathrine and Kayla," she said. "Although we were hopeful for Sulu [to be selected], we didn't anticipate she'd be called up to the Ferns quite so early."

Keenan's daughter, Tuaine, will take Cullen's place in the Auckland squad, while Kelly Griffin, sister of Silver Fern shooter Paula, comes into the line-up for Latu. But Keenan is still searching for another defender to replace Tone-Fitzpatrick, who had been used in all three defensive positions for Auckland's opening games.

She said she would trial players in training this week after their original replacement was injured.

"The trainings over the next week will be looking at options in regards to that. We did have an option, but that option has since been injured so we'll be looking to see what else is out there," said Keenan.

"We've got about three people we'll be looking at. It's got to be someone that is quite versatile and can play all three [defensive] positions. And we'd like to get someone experienced."

After following up a 23-goal battering against Wellington in their opening game with another big loss to Canterbury last weekend, Auckland Waitakere will be looking to get some points on the board on Saturday when they take on a win-less Otago side in Dunedin.