The head of the New Zealand Professional Footballers Association Harry Ngata is surprised New Zealand Football didn't start investigating issues surrounding Football Ferns coach Andreas Heraf earlier.
Former All White Harry Ngata Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Heraf has been placed on leave while an independent investigation is carried out into the relationship breakdown between the coach and the players in the national women's team.
On Monday New Zealand Football received a letter from the PFA outlining several complaints from players about Heraf.
Last week NZ Football Chief Executive Andy Martin indicated that new captain Ali Riley and the players were supportive of Heraf and that no issues had been raised.
However Ngata says manager Clair Hamilton had concerns when she resigned following matches against Scotland in March and that's when NZ Football should have taken notice.
"She flighted some stuff to New Zealand Football in a statement or a report where she expressed her concerns at that time."
"There's other support staff as well and if I'm Andy Martin and I'm hearing the noise around an unhappy camp or players or whatever, surely the first people I'd talk to would be the coach, but if there were concerns around him, then go to Gareth Turnbull (the assistant coach), or the manager, or the physio or the doctor, people who are inside the environment."
"They're the people who could shed some light on the stuff we're hearing.
Ngata hopes the investigation can be wrapped up as soon as possible so the Football Ferns can concentrate on next year's World Cup.
-RNZ
