2024 ANZP ROUND 12

Yip RMB, it was 20-12 to Tactix for the 22 min that Grace was off the court, if it had been 60 min, Tactix would have won by truck loads. But the final score should have been much closer, Te Paea was terrible in the 1st Q, and no Pedersen made the mid court sluggish.

And adding Vui or Malesala to the wider squad as well.

@museboy I like your selections. I’m not completely sold on Metuarau yet. If she can stay consistent with form etc, then I’d keep her.

If I was Salmon and wanting to break into the Ferns, I’d truly consider going to Mystics next year. Playing a season at GA with Nweke, will show the selectors what she’s capable of. We all know she can hold her own at GS but her GA game may need work. IMO Mystics can afford to drop one of Glen or Vui.
If we go by history, Nweke seems to get injured during a season. Which will allow Salmon to drop back to GS and work with Vui (or Glen).

Tactix – Bird TPSR
Steel – Dunn Heffernan or Namanu
Pulse – Walmsley Metuarau (they should keep Salmon over Walmsley)
Magic – Tui Ekenasio
Stars – Wilson Malesala
Mystics – Nweke Salmon

All 6 GSs will be genuine options for Ferns, as will all 6 GAs.

IF Pulse keep Salmon, Walmsley should go to Stars and pair up with Wilson.

I rate Georgia Heffernan, who shows fitness, volume, and willingness to shoot from range. Granted, her shooting % needs some improvement, and there have been some times in a losing team she has dropped her head – i.e. given up on defence.

Metuarau has great court craft, and a bit of mongrel, but volume and fitness are issues.

Tui has potential at GA, and I think she played there for Steel a bit last year – but may be more a GS prospect.

Wilson, Malesala, Vui, Falkner are all other GA considerations. Maybe Salmon too, though I haven’t seen her playing there.

NZ dont, and wont ever, have the depth Australia do. But I think they’ll be able to field a competitive team, at least.

• This reply was modified 8 months, 2 weeks ago by Paul2020.

Ferns are always competitive against the Diamonds, can pretty much say they will win the 1st 2 Con Cup games, as the Diamonds seem to have a mental block playing in front of the NZ crowds, and have forgotten how to win, then the same thing happens in Australia the other way round.