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Remember there is also a possibility that some NZ shooters could play the SSN next year.
I’m sure teams would like Ekenasio with her very long range shooting.Ekenasio would be an interesting signing i cant think of many teams who would choose/have a need to sign a 33 year old GA
If she did get picked up, I’d say it’ll be a year contract.
I’m just trying to figure out who would need her? If all the teams keep their current GAs, the only team I could see possibly wanting her is Fever.The other part to it, is how much $$ she’ll be wanting. Having a young family, that’ll play a part too. I can’t see any SSN team willing to fork out that much. I’d say she would be on good money in NZ.
Ekenasio is also a very good GS, I feel she should play there more for the Ferns, but problem is she is a world class GA, the other options in NZ are not. I think she has a sister in Sydney.
I think Ekenasio would be a great option in the SSN, with the caveat that I haven’t watched the NZ comp this year.
At Fever she would be a great GA and also give them a real option at GS if something happened to JFR .
I think Firebirds could do with a consistent GA both shooting and feeding wise.
She would certainly strengthen any of the other teams with her GA and GS game, but I don’t know whether there’s any realistic openings.Yes no obvious starting spots for Ekenasio but I’m sure all teams would love to have her as their third shooter who can make an impact off the bench, play both GA/GS and can shoot from 2PT. Not sure why she is too old if Romelda isn’t? If Fretwell retires, that is an obvious spot.
I doubt she would go to just bench sit, that’s what she did at the Firebirds when she was in her early 20s,
Only a team trying to win it straight away would have any use for Ekenasio.
The problem with that of course is teams trying to win now are usually pretty settled. So Ekenasio would have to be a like to like replacement. She’d have to convince a team she makes them better and she makes them good enough to be premiership contenders.
So I could see her at Fever replacing Beckford, if Ryan thinks she’s an upgrade. Or I could see Giants fooling themselves into thinking they can make a run at it in 2025 with the correct reinforcements.
Other than those two faint chances there wouldn’t be much interest. The rest of the teams either have GAs locked up or definitely more than a 33 year old GA away from a finals run. It seems unlikely on the face of it.
Re: Mavericks – Shimona, Cardwell and Glasgow are all Goal Shooters. Glasgow has at least demonstrated a strong GA game at Fever although I understand she moved to Mavericks as she wanted to play GS. I think Mavericks need Sinclair as she is a more natural GA, with WA as a back up. I actually think it is Cardwell that needs to move – I would take Shimona as GS if you are looking to the future (very soon she will likely be the world’s best GS) and she already has a connection with Jovic and Sinclair. I think Cardwell is excellent at GS (she is simply not a GA) and if Wallam leaves the Firebirds I reckon Cardwell would be a great fit – she has already formed a combination with Dwan and think she would add more value to the Firebirds than she can at Mavericks – similar to what she did at the Thunderbirds where they needed her energy passion and the confidence to win. I also think she would likely link in well with Dunkley. But, whoever Firebirds sign for GS they need to make a 2 year commitment to put an end to the destabilisation that the rumours cause. I also think Firebirds need to target a tall strong GK and of course Ervin must be a target (although I do think the Ervin/Hinchcliff combo works nicely for SCL). Bruce could certainly add value to the Firebirds but as she is on a 3 year contract with SCL I guess this can’t occur unless both Bruce/SCL were willing. I like Kamo and Shearer but would probably go Kamo as a GD/GK back up for now but certainly would be looking to Shearer down the track.
I might be a bit out of the loop but not sure that NZ players will be in the SSN next year as contract negotiation will be starting very soon (officially)! I hope Palavi gets the opportunity at Swifts (or possibly Firebirds or Fever). But, Cholok is also suppose to be heading to SSN – Swifts or Giants or Firebirds? If Wallam leaves Firebirds where is she going – logically I would have thought Sydney although the rumours are Thunderbirds? I reckon Romelda is likely to stay at least 1 more year and why would she leave the Thunderbirds and why would the Thunderbirds let her go when she is playing so well and the combos work? It allows Austin to continue to develop her craft.
Just my very uninformed opinion!
PS – New Zealand players are all facing thirty to fifty percent pay cuts due to the changed media landscape over there. I don’t think you can honestly say there is a player on “good money” in NZ anymore. With the growth of NSL it is rapidly becoming a second tier competition.
Interesting to hear from the ABC that Netball Australia is absolutely targeting expansion at the end of the current broadcast deal in 2026. I hope they’ve thought this through fully, I see Foxtel offering less money next rime not more. Similar to Sky in NZ.
I think for the first time the ANZP and SSN recruiting windows officially open at the same time, however I suspect if any Ferns were looking to make the jump to Aus they likely would have been proactive and initiated conversations mid-ANZP season so not to be left behind.
Ekenasio, Jury, Gordon (I reckon she wants to test herself against the best in Aus) and Nweke are the ones I think would have put their hands up. Maybe Burger if Watson retires from the Tactix, especially if they win ANZP?
I wonder if Rahni Samason is looking at going back to Aus?
Doubt she’d find a SSN team to join, though I do think she’d be a handy 3rd option shooter. It’s obviously not working for her in NZ.
Still wondering what happened at Stars? It’s like NO ONE is talking about it, questioning it or anything.I don’t think there are any GA spots available for Samason unfortunately, she should try play for another ANZP team or try her luck in the UK.
International players should avoid the ANZP, too many have gone over with little to no court time. Samason, Mvula, Brice, Hodge, Meafou.
Does anyone know if Iongi received any court time?
Not sure Martina Salmon or George Fisher or Lenise Potgeiter or Jo Harten would agree with you there netballgirl. There’s been loads of international players that went to ANZP and did really well. And there’s players that for any number of reasons it didn’t work out quite as well. That’s the nature of professional sport unfortunately.
Samason isn’t a GA and with her stature her best bet is as 3rd shooter swinging between both spots. There are too many stronger candidates though. Cant see Vixens going back to Samason. Not to mention that her body specifically her knees keep breaking down, I had hoped they would hold up better in the NZ environment than in the intensity of SSN but seems that was not the case.
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