The Watchlist: Silver Ferns’ struggles raise alarm for netball in New Zealand

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Chris Rattue has been a journalist since 1980 and is one of the most respected opinion writers in New Zealand sports journalism.

After a series of surprising line-up changes, Dame Noeline Taurua must prove her tactics can lead the Silver Ferns to victory. The upcoming match in Invercargill is more
vital than ever.

OPINION
All those changes, with the test series on the line?
What was the Silver Ferns coach up to?
Avid netball followers and pundits are scratching their heads after the coach kept fiddling with the line-up during the must-win second test against England.
Dame Noeline Taurua needs to restore confidence in her strategies, starting with the third test in Invercargill (Sunday 7.30pm). It has become a vital match for the wrong reasons.
Taurua started her reign with a world title hiss and a roar, the glory of which seems to still mask some of the stuff that has gone on since.
She made a staggering eight changes during that second test – compared to England’s two – including three at centre.
As for the bigger picture… New Zealand netball is treading water. Other countries are surging ahead.
The truth is the Ferns have always over-relied on a few legends like Sandra Edge, Irene van Dyk and now Grace Nweke.
Real depth was never there. But the situation appears to be getting worse.
And this series loss is part of a worrying trend with our women’s sport.
On the one hand, the Kiwi Ferns shocked Australia in a big rugby league upset last year, and the Black Ferns Sevens are rugby wonders.
On the other hand, the Silver Ferns have collapsed as a netball power, the Football Ferns have been sub-par for decades, the White Ferns cricketers are ordinary, to put it nicely, and the once-mighty Black Ferns XV fell to rank outsiders Ireland last week.
Bottom line: Whatever the result on Sunday, New Zealand netball needs to take a long hard look at itself. And it’s not the only one. Yes, women’s team sport is on the rise and getting a more consistent profile, which is long overdue and inspiring. But improved quantity is threatening to be hurt by decreasing quality.
Coverage: Sky.
Aucklander Andrei Mikhailovich’s career-defining moment – his postponed IBF middleweight boxing title fight – takes place in Sydney on Friday night against the big-hitting Kazakhstan southpaw.
Janibek Alimkhanuly was initially upset that the rescheduled fight would take place in Sydney, even though he was to blame for the first one in Las Vegas being cancelled at the last moment.
Super confident, he will only arrive in Sydney late this week.
“Everyone knows and understands that he is easy work for me,” said the feared boxer.
Mikhailovich says it is his “destiny” to become a champion alongside the names of Joseph Parker and Maselino Masoe.
Another Kiwi champion, Mea Motu, fights on the undercard. Coverage begins at 8pm.
Bottom line: That $39.95 price tag could well be worth it.
Coverage: Sky Arena.
A great NRL final between Penrith Panthers and Melbourne Storm is in store (Sunday 9.30pm).
It is also a chance to celebrate some of the best Kiwi footballers to ever play in the NRL – Jahrome Hughes, James Fisher-Harris and Moses Leota.
Hughes’ match-up against the Panthers’ masterful metronome Nathan Cleary will go a long way to deciding the result.
The Storm also have rising wing sensation Will Warbrick, plucked out of New Zealand sevens rugby ranks.
Plus…
There’s another booming prospect in big Storm centre Jack Howarth, who has been in New Zealand Māori and A squads and figures on the New Zealand Rugby League website.
Born in Mackay, the 21-year-old Howarth has also played for Aussie schools and junior Queensland sides. He is a State of Origin prospect, which might put him out of the Kiwis’ reach. This is typical of rugby league’s representative confusion.
Howarth has been an NRL standout in 2024 after injury issues and years of development in the amazing Storm culture.
The absence of suspended Storm giant Nelson Asofa-Solomona is a massive disappointment for Sunday’s big game.
There’s never been any doubt around Asofa-Solomona’s loyalty to the Kiwis jersey. His absence from the New Zealand squad for the upcoming tests is also a huge blow.
Coverage: Sky.
The Black Ferns’ opening WXV 1 loss to Ireland ranks among the worst defeats by any of our national rugby teams.
A near-empty stadium in Canada didn’t help the viewing experience.
New Zealand women’s rugby was supposed to be on a roll, and not downhill – yet the credibility that was restored at the World Cup in 2022 has gone down the drain again.
Methodical and powerful, England will almost certainly expose the flaws on Monday morning (9am).
Coverage: Sky.
The British crew can wrap up the challenger series (Saturday 1am) against Italy. A week later, the real deal begins. Stand by for some real drama at last, and plenty of smoke and mirrors. It could be a lot of fun, and a lot more than what we’ve been dished up so far.
Coverage: Three
Chris Rattue has been a journalist since 1980 and is one of the most respected opinion writers in New Zealand sports journalism.
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