Netball: Youngsters impress Ferns coach

Silver Ferns coach Ruth Aitken. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Silver Ferns coach Ruth Aitken is excited by some of the young talent on display over the weekend's pre-season tournament in Queenstown.

With most sides keen to test out new combinations and give their rookie players a taste of what the ANZ Championship is like, the weekend provided Aitken with the opportunity to see future stars in action.

"I think the real advantage of this weekend for coaches is being able to play their bench, so for me seeing the development of all those young ones, like Bailey Mes and Kayla Cullen for the Mystics, was great," said Aitken.

"For me it is about establishing a starting point for them. Seeing where they are at now and being able to see their progress during the year."

One of the stand-out youngsters was Camilla Lees, the Central Pulse's midcourt general. Should she continue to produce performances like she did in Queenstown week-in, week-out during the ANZ Championships, Lees could push for a place in the Ferns much sooner than expected.

The coming of age of Lees, who made the wider Ferns squad last year, is one reason behind a shift in public expectation for the Pulse this season.

The Wellington-based side are no longer considered the easy-beats of the competition after adding a healthy smattering of experience in the off-season, including Ferns defender Katrina Grant.

While many are predicting bigger things from the Pulse this season, the Canterbury Tactix are tipped to be on the decline.

They are without a number of seasoned internationals from last year, and while they had a couple of good wins over the weekend, their 40-50 loss to the Pulse yesterday does not bode well for the season ahead.

The weekend also provided a chance for Aitken to track the progress of returning mothers Leana de Bruin and Daneka Wipiiti, who are both vying for reselection in the national side.

Aitken said she has been very impressed with de Bruin, who has got back up to speed quickly after the birth of son Caleb in October.

"I think she has done outstandingly well to be in such good form already."

The Ferns coach was also heartened to see Wipiiti back on court playing full matches at such an early stage in her comeback.