Sports Call - How long will the Silver Fern's mid-court be blamed for their disappointing results asks Ravinder Hunia?
No one is ever going to replace Laura Langman.
She is hands down the undisputed mid-courter of the modern netball age.
Not only is she the most capped player in history with 141 tests, she played a crucial part when the Silver Ferns won gold at the 2006 and 2010 Commonwealth games not to mention their only Constellation Cup series win in 2012 - but how long do we mourn her absence and use it as an excuse for the Silver Ferns continually underperforming?
Laura Langman. Photo: Photosport
Let's recap the Netball Quad series in September 2017 when the Silver Ferns won the competition in a convincing 10 point win over the Australian Diamonds in the final match, it was labelled an off day for the Aussies but that's not quite how it played out.
This game was the epitome of everything that's missing now.
Not only did the Ferns apply pressure from the outset both in defence and attack, coach Janine Southby used a crucial combination that didn't include Maria Folau.
The veteran's absence due to a bereavement forced Southern Steel attacking trio Shannon Francois, Gina Crampton and Te Paea Selby-Rickit to put their season connection on show which proved pivotal in this match.
Does the key to beating Australia lie in not playing Maria Folau? Photo: Photosport
And there in lay the key - Selby-Rickit starting in the shooting circle.
The Southerner had just come off a season of impeccable shooting and feeding a six foot four goal shooter Jhanielle Fowler-Reid which worked perfectly in the final partnered up with a very aerial Bailey Mes.
Not only could Selby-Rickit read her 'middies' driving to the circle - her timing with Mes was spot on offering something new and unconventional, but that's where it stopped.
So why hasn't this winning combination been nurtured?
For too long we have heard about the troubles in the middle order, yet shooting percentages are low and our shooters are the number one offenders for turnovers.
Selby-Rickit offers something new in a very ageing Silver Ferns shooting circle - one of them being giving the mid-courters space to do their jobs.
Selby-Rickit had an instant impact in the series match against South Africa and was the only shooter to reach 80 percent leaving Folau and Mes in the undesirable seventies.
This wasn't only a reflection of swift shooting but coming into the circle on time to connect with mid-courters who are feeding the ball. Her inclusion in the second quarter against Australia saw the feeds to shooters nearly double and Shannon Francois rocketed to the top of the goal feeding statistics.
We could go on about how Selby-Rickit wasn't rewarded a start against Australia, there may well have been strategy involved, what we can confirm though is playing catch up netball against the world number ones almost always ends badly - and it did in the biggest loss margin of the series.
The Silver Ferns coach Janine Southby has plenty to ponder. Photo: Photosport
It's not a call to rid the Silver Ferns of veterans but when taking on Australia why not use the combination that most recently exposed them.
There is no doubt Laura Langman's involvement would only benefit this team, Folau too, but that second place world ranking is hanging in the balance and something needs to give.
-RNZ
