Fitness issues weaken Silver Ferns defensive stocks ahead of CG

[Maryann]

#1341888

Article in stuff headed as above saying there are issues with defenders fitness levels, imo due to the covid hangover.
No players names but thinking Karaka and potentially Fitzpatrick.

[Baller]

#1341889

One month to sort themselves out which really isn’t much time at all. The symptoms and positive test long gone but the fatigue hang around for what seemed like forever.

Sadly, I’m going to assume Ekenasio might not reach her targets either. Who knows what tonight brings though…

[Nesian]

#1341892

And that’s how stupid these fitness standards are. They are more concerned about whether a player or not can go to a line and back under a certain amount of time instead of focusing on what they actually do on the court.

When there are obvious health issues with some of these players you would think that concessions would be made but no they want to protect the integrity of their program. What a load of crap.

The fact that covid is a respiratory disease might just spark a flicker of common sense with Nolene and her cohorts but apparently not.

[mcleod]

#1341899

The media and Noel’s, need to be very careful saying players are unfit. Without telling people why. Karaka severely affected by covid, MSB returning from injury, Johnson covid. But hey let the media make them out to be unfit lumps.

[Ian Harkin]

#1341902

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/women-in-sport/128543818/fitness-issues-weaken-silver-ferns-defensive-stocks-ahead-of-commonwealth-games

[Waylay]

#1341903

I agree with the standards, and to be honest they really aren’t that high for full-time athletes. There are KPI’s in every job, netball is a job for these athletes and this is one of their KPI’s.

I know from playing week long netball tournaments myself that it is incredibly physically taxing and every ouce of your aerobic capacity is challenged – and I’m sure it would be even more taxing playing at the international level. The standards aren’t ridiculous, they are absolutely necessary. Aerobic capacity is an enormous part of our game.

[Nesian]

#1341905

@Waylay Yes, that’s fine when you haven’t had a respiratory disease which most of these players had. You would rather put their health last and netball first?

[mcleod]

#1341906

Waylay are you understanding the covid factor. Karaka can’t even play a full game.

[nanator]

#1341907

I also 100% support these standards. COVID has taken its toll, but players still need to be fit and healthy in order to attend tournaments.

Karaka or any other player affected by COVID may have great skill and courtplay – but if they don’t have the stamina or match fitness (due to the impacts of COVID or other reasons), then what is the point of taking them to high impact tournament?

It’s not fair on the player or their teammates. Yes, the SF stocks might be depleted but that’s just the reality.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by nanator.
• This reply was modified 1 year ago by nanator.

[mcleod]

#1341910

Is Noel’s talking about squad members or just ANZ players. Because Temu, Burley, Manu’a, and others are not in any squad.

[WeWood]

#1341913

I’m of the view if players are still very much in the midst of their post-COVID comeback they should be left behind to fully recover.

Would you really ‘amend’ the fitness standards to get someone on a plane to Birmingham only for them to self combust in a format where you can’t make changes to your squad of 12?

It’s harsh, but avoids ‘carrying’ anyone in a week/10-day long tournament and allows players to focus on their health.

And re normal fitness/not COVID related issues – again if you can’t hit the performance standard required to get in the team, how are you going to execute day in, day out with back-to-back games against England, a semi and then a medal playoff game?

[Nesian]

#1341914

@nanator Can you tell me in the ANZ who is fit and who isn’t? Bet you can’t.

Instead of worrying about a silly yoyo test, judge them on how they perform on the court. The English series, the Quad series, everyone passed the fitness test and where did that get us?

I would much rather concessions are made to those who have passed the standards before. Let’s say Nweke, Meels and Maia don’t make the fitness test. You would be happy with Hume, Vui and Mes taking their spots just because they can pass the fitness test? I wouldn’t.

Fairness has got nothing to do with it, is it fair when your team works hard to get a turnover then the shooter misses?

[TB]

#1341915

I think we have to be careful, when we are comparing things to Quad/England series. As I don’t think we lost them due to fitness. We lost them to poor team selection (I’m looking at the C/WA positions and possibly GA). IMO we lost them due to poor coaching decisions.

I do agree that fitness standards do need to be met. Covid is affecting everyone all over the world, our players are not the only ones that have to go through this.

I feel like this article is for Kayla Johnson. Even though they talk about “players” maybe this is a subtle hint to Johnson? 🤷‍♂️

[nanator]

#1341917

@nesian I think you can ascertain fitness to some extent by whether or not players have been able to complete full games or back to back games as a measure? But I agree, weekly match performances are not the best measure to estabilish fitness for tournament netball.

I think that’s why you need fitness standards – to establish whether a player is going to be able to play 7 games in a 10 day period. How else would you go on to make that judgement? Weekly netball or a double header weekend does not compare to tournament netball.

If Maia, Meels and Nweke didn’t meet the fitness standards I wouldn’t have them in the team. Sure, they may play well for the first game or two but their performance would be below average for the games that matter. We need to have objective standards set for players – that helps with selection and gives players a clear goal with their fitness.

At this stage I think the big questions would be Meels and Johnson. Karaka looks stronger every week, and I hope she meets standards in the next few weeks if she hasn’t.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by nanator.

[Nesian]

#1341994

@nanator Just being honest but I’d hate to see Nweke miss out because she hasn’t reached a line back and forth in a certain amount of time. I’m no Nweke fan and I think after watching today she needs an attitude adjustment but she’s the most dominant shooter we have, one of the most accurate and if the likes of Meels can’t make it in time with current standards then I think we will struggle for third at the Comm Games.

The thing is Noels brought in the fitness standards for the World Cup. The bottom level was 16 and we obviously won the cup. Now the standards have gone up incrementally every year but have our results? No, if anything they have gone backwards. So yes we are fitter but that’s the only victory we’ve had because we have lost on the court.

If we are honest we only have to put our first string players on against England in our pool so player rotation wise I wouldn’t expect our starting 7 to have played a heck of a lot of minutes before we get to the business end.

I’m not saying get rid of the standards but perhaps bring them back to 2019 level so those that have been affected by covid have a better chance of making the squad.

@TB whilst the defence end was singled out in the article I have heard that across the court that some players are struggling to meet the standards.

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