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in reply to: 2024 CONSTELLATION CUP – AUS v NZ (October) #1380877
Great option if she is eligible. I appreciate your reasoning and it makes sense too, would just be great to have it confirmed.
in reply to: 2024 CONSTELLATION CUP – AUS v NZ (October) #1380871The stand down rule is that you can represent another country, you only need to stand down from the next World Cup if you represented another country in the previous World Cup.
So Jok is eligible to represent Australia at any time moving forward, even tomorrow night – the only question is if she would be eligible to play for Australia at the next World Cup because she was a reserve for Jamaica in 2023.
- This reply was modified 3 weeks ago by NB12.
in reply to: 2024 CONSTELLATION CUP – AUS v NZ (October) #1380837Well Australia nearly got beaten by South Africa in 2019 so that plan could have backfired on LA!
It’s different now. Australia have faced England and Jamaica in the last two semi finals at the major events recently, and were defeated by those teams in the round play in each tournament.
You are right though, it is a big test for SM and the team management. She has had hurdles in the major tournaments that she has managed well though and finished on top. I agree as well there may have been some complacency there due to the success the team has had with digging themselves out of holes in the past.
By “we need more information”, I think she means they need the analysis and data to understand why they turned the ball over 5+ times in a row on their own centre pass and why they kept making silly errors when they gained the ball in defence. Eg why was Paige Hadley so far out of court and being passed the ball?
To me, not enough emphasis has been placed on blooding new players and with Weston and Bruce coming into this series under injury clouds, why weren’t Ervin or Ellis exposed more in the England series? Why didn’t she look Horjus in the England series to build some form of combination? Why did Dwyer get barely any court time against England?
in reply to: 2024 CONSTELLATION CUP – AUS v NZ (October) #1380812Are there any issues with Jok representing Australia at the next WC given she received a medal at the last one as a named reserve? Well, medal aside, was she technically representing Jamaica at that WC?
in reply to: 2024 CONSTELLATION CUP – AUS v NZ (October) #1380810I found the comment from Cat Tuaviti that DNT has found it difficult to connect with the young players of this generation, and she has done a lot of work to improve that.
That explained a lot with regards to what has appeared to be culture issues within the Ferns. I would say a person like Akle, who has built an amazing team culture and connection with her players, has probably helped with.
It takes a lot for a coach to admit that type of thing and I really respect her for owning that and doing a lot of work behind the scenes to improve it. It also explains the stark difference between the team that won the 2019 WC, and the past few years.
in reply to: 2024 CONSTELLATION CUP – AUS v NZ (October) #1380809I would say Bueta and Fretwell are the players that have left the biggest holes in the team.
Braz was a great specialist WD, but I felt the defence lifted to a better standard today for Australia. They can only create so many opportunities with players like Ekenasio and Nweke playing the way they are. It was the inability to convert from gains, as well as other attacking turnovers, that were costly.
Why wasn’t Wallam given more opportunities (prior to this year – as discussed, there may be something going on there in 2024)? She hasn’t even played against NZ.
Ervin, Wilkinson, Fawns, L Austin, Frew, Mundy, Williams and Walters all need to be exposed to this level next year, and Garrett, RBD need further consolidation.
I think Bruce has still got it if she is fully fit, but Ervin is breathing down her neck.
Also, as an aside, I’m not anti imports but I do think it is poor that Harten, who is way past even her average best, gets to play on in SSN while players like Lucy Austin sit on the bench at Tbirds and Wallam is playing in NZ.
in reply to: 2024 CONSTELLATION CUP – AUS v NZ (October) #1380794A lot of the Australian team seem tired and a number of them have niggles. Koenen is definitely one of them and she was completely out of sorts tonight and to be honest, she hasn’t really made the most of the opportunities she’s had recently.
I think the Ellis trial can be put to bed. That style of play will not go unnoticed by international umpires and some of her plays were outright dangerous.
If Koenen isn’t fit, do they risk having only 1 true GS? Or do they throw caution to the wind and bring Lucy Austin in for some exposure?
in reply to: 2024 CONSTELLATION CUP – AUS v NZ (October) #1380779I don’t think the issue was defence for Australia today. They actually had a lot of gains but they had breaks, not wholly within and some other soft turnovers at least 4 times when they turned it over.
I also think Australia hasn’t adjusted to the umpiring style at all throughout this series, something that you could see they had worked very hard on going into the WC.
Overall though, NZ have clicked, Aus are probably a bit stale after a long run of success and have a bit of work to do to turn this around before CWG and WC.
in reply to: 2024 CONSTELLATION CUP – AUS v NZ (October) #1380760The umpires are so fixated on the physicality that they are missing a few other things (both ways) – held ball being the obvious one!
in reply to: 2024 CONSTELLATION CUP – AUS v NZ (October) #1380739Well there you go! And what a shame Horjus didn’t get a crack against England.
Dwyer must be getting the start today, I think a rest will do Austin some good.
in reply to: 2024 CONSTELLATION CUP – AUS v NZ (October) #1380650Yes, I think the key difference is NZ seems to have sorted their mid court out.
That has been the key difference between the Diamonds and the top 5/6 other nations. It is the mid court players that don’t get as many opportunities to play in SSN.
I am a Diamonds supporter and a little concerned but overall this is good for the game and I look forward to seeing their efforts to turn it around, a new challenge for SM and her team.
in reply to: 2024 CONSTELLATION CUP – AUS v NZ (October) #1380643I think it would be unethical to call in Ervin and place that kind of expectation on her.
The expectation needs to lay square with the coaches and the senior players and if they don’t perform and turn this around, then the young players should be given the opportunity to show what they can do next year.
Ervin will also get a chance to play on Nweke in SSN.
in reply to: 2024 CONSTELLATION CUP – AUS v NZ (October) #1380622I’m not convinced Australia can turn this around. They need a player that can put genuine hesitancy on the feed, I think that player is Ervin but maybe she just isn’t quite ready yet.
I do think giving Watson a rest was a good idea.
in reply to: 2024 CONSTELLATION CUP – AUS v NZ (October) #1380607I totally agree that Aryang is a great WD, but I do think that the issue in this series has been stopping the ball early to Nweke (issues in attack aside).
If Price isn’t in WD, Moloney is not the answer there and I think Weston must be on managed minutes so Aryang needed to start in GD.
I don’t think Aus needs to panic though. Bruce had an off year due to injury and has just come back from surgery, and Weston has been rested and recovering.
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