Stacey Marinkovich insists that her Australian Diamonds team will not underestimate the power of the Silver Ferns, even if their rivals are troubled by a coaching crisis.
A rocky run of results in 2024 is no longer bothering the Diamonds aftey they claimed a comfortable series win over South Africa to enter the Constellation Cup in high spirits.
But the disappointment that followed last year’s Constellation Cup defeat still lingers in the back of coach Marinkovich’s mind.
“We know how intense the Constellation Cup is going to be. New Zealand always bring it,” Marinkovich, head coach of the Diamonds, said in her final press conference for the South Africa series on Sunday.
“They certainly did last year … it is certainly [a series] where we have to be at our best. We are just going to have to keep elevating our performance.”
New Zealand won the last series 2-1, the triumph becoming their third series win since the tournament began in 2010.
The Silver Ferns for last year’s series were led by Dame Noeline Taurua, but the top coach has since been stood down after player complaints were lodged to the Players Association, claiming the team environment was “psychologically unsafe” during the team’s tour of Australia in January.
Taurua has a long-standing reputation for holding high fitness standards and has been known to omit players who do not meet the levels she expects.
An independent review was launched into the matter and a reported 10-hour mediation hearing was held earlier this month, although no resolution was found.
No timeline has been given as to when or if Taurua will return to the top job. Taurua’s assistant coaches will join her on the sidelines until a conclusion is reached.
The team has also gone on to lose a national selector in Gail Parata, a former Silver Fern, who chose to leave her role in support of Taurua.
In a social media post, Parata criticised New Zealand Netball’s handling of Taurua’s situation and reiterated her belief that the “collective voice” of coaching staffers is “being lost”.
This sudden stand-down of Dame Noeline Taurua and her coaching staff has left many of us across the coaching community stunned and questioning how it has come to this,” Parata wrote on Facebook.
“Let’s be clear, this isn’t just about one person. It’s about what this decision says about coaching in New Zealand right now.
“Dame Noeline isn’t just a coach – she’s a master of her craft. She’s lifted countless players and staff while representing Aotearoa. Yet even she wasn’t protected.
“If someone like Dame Noeline can be stood down like this, what message does that send to every coach in our system? That excellence and integrity are no longer enough? That politics now trumps performance? For many of us, that’s deeply concerning.
“There will be many coaches across Aotearoa watching this unfold, some feeling disheartened, others disillusioned and others implying sad that it’s come to this.
“If volunteers and/or coaches alike walk away, then there goes decades of knowledge that New Zealand sport simply can not afford to lose. Yet there is silence … says it all.
“If this is the new standard, we’re in trouble. Not just in netball but across every code in Aotearoa.”
Parata also said she was the only selector in New Zealand when Taurua was suspended.
After Parata exited the Players Association signed off an agreement to reduce the selection panel from being the convenor of selectors, the head coach, plus two additional selectors to become a panel of three leading into two major international series.
While the choice to reduce the selection panel was a practical solution for that time, Parata fears that it could set a concerning precedent.
“Without the national selectors on the ground … who ensured the athletes were evaluated with the same depth, objectivity and care?” added Parata.
“Those currently in place had only been involved for a few weeks and that raises serious questions about how selection decisions were made and on what foundation.”
The Constellation Cup will begin at John Cain Arena in Melbourne on Friday.
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