2022 ANZP ROUND 8

Theres a stuff article titled Covid tests Steels resolve. Mentions that the Saturday game would have only had two fully fit players with the rest in isolation or on return to play, and that they did not have enough cover from other levels.

@Kwkiwi – I can understand the TAB logic. Even for the tipping comp on here (like this weekends Steel game being moved back three days) I take more than past results into consideration 🙂

It seems weird to me that they considered lessening the fitness standards but decided not to. When you consider that Covid affects the lungs more than any other organ in the body I find it silly to expect these athletes to be a the same fitness levels prior to contracting Covid. We still don’t know the long term effects of Covid but it is obvious that it is taking it’s toll on some players.

Saunders and Poi are two of the fittest netballers in the country and they have said how difficult it has been for them. I’d hate to think they are taking on potential long term risks to their health just to meet a fitness standard.

Omg really? Makes sense… I don’t actually like gambling but last year was gonna put $ on the tactix to win in the finals it was paying so high cos they weren’t favourites

Oh whoops I always get them mixed up!

My take on what Noels said is that there are a ‘number’ of Ferns not making the fitness standards at the moment which I assume is due to having had Covid this year and while they will do the best to get them there she is prepared to ‘park’ them for CG. Ekenasio is a different case.
When you listen to Saunders who had it while in MIQ (February) speaking around week 3/4 of the season and saying she was about 70%, when you hear Fitzpatrick (MIQ February) speak about continuing to have to use her inhalers you realise it could be any of them struggling with the standards.
What we see on court at ANZ is one thing, what the players are like when they come off and the next day as they recover may tell another story as to whether or not they could play at the same level the next day.
CG is hard on the body and mind and the standards set by Noels and team are the ones that players need to reach to be able to take part. So she may need to look further into the squad with her final selections. From her interview she is looking at players with a lot of experience – the likes of Kopua, Langman,Folau in the three areas of court to provide leadership, the ones who know they have to keep grinding it out.
The travelling team may well be quite different to what we expect.

I personally never 100% understood the appointment of crampton as SF captain. There seems from the outside to be other strong leaders on the court, and ones who are currently (and to be honest in 2021) playing with much better consistency