NS Preview: 2022 January Quad Series

When the teams take to the court for the first match of the 2022 Quad Series, it will have been 1,092 days since the last time the series was played. Much has changed in that time, but one thing which remains is the excitement surrounding international netball. For some teams, this will be their first (and only) chance for the intense match play ahead of the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. For others, it is merely another notch in their preparations for the main event.

So how are the teams shaping up? What can we expect from these squads of 15? Who is likely to walk away with the trophy and bragging rights?

Image: Steve McLeod

English Roses

Preview by Zara Collings

Coach: Jess Thirlby

Team List:

Strengths and Weaknesses

Shooters

Midcourter

Defence

Key Matchups

Photo: Steve McLeod

Australian Diamonds

Preview by Andrew Kennedy

Coach: Stacey Marinkovich

Team List:

Strengths and Weaknesses

The Diamonds enter this series full of adrenaline and pride to show the world how tightly they have bonded, and that despite less experience together in 2020-2021, they have nothing in their sights other than white-washing this series against strong opposition. They desire the series win but the longer goal is establishing systems for the Commonwealth Games this year, given the new captain, the pandemic, new coaching, some debutants and novices, and a lot of travel and emotion amongst the team. They begin against world champions New Zealand, then South Africa, and hosts, England.

From youngest, Sunday Aryang, to oldest, dual-code player Ash Brazill, and the power-packed veterans and leaders in each section of the court, Marinkovich’s athletes come from the toughest league in the world, as well as a sense of safety and sacrifice. The Diamonds have been staying mostly isolated since Christmas to make sure they could make the plane to the United Kingdom. They are a different squad, with most players aged 25-29, and literally no veterans, so they can forge a different kind of identity.

Having said that, this is a “bibs-in-the-air” moment for those outside the Diamonds camp, since there is confusing versatility, particularly in the midcourt, whilst not really having an experienced “target” style goal shooter. Important players have been selected from the Vixens, who finished dead last in the national league, and despite enormous commitment, their confidence could be questioned. They also have to be ready to compensate for new or recurrent injuries in star players on a long tour, whilst giving opportunities to brand new players to ensure they prove themselves for the Commonwealth Games. Liz Watson herself has only three tests as Australian captain. She definitely has the confidence of the group but has been off the court for nearly a year.

Shooters

The shooting end holds the most doubt – with Caitlin Bassett and Kiera Austin starting the last Constellation Cup and now both injured. The pressure now falls to the extremely new Cara Koenen, and her familiar partner, wily vice-captain Steph Wood; the pair likely to be the starters. There is no real post target shooter, although novice Sophie Garbin can play that role with demonstrated and devastating impact. Gretel Bueta, returning from her first child’s birth, is a bit of a wildcard, who had many errors early in Super Netball but improved sharply through the year. She could play both positions and give special input in defence at goal attack. Sophie Dwyer must be absolutely thrilled to get called up and will make the most of her chances, but is less than likely to be named for match day let alone get more than a few minutes of court time. Still, you only need that brief shot to give you the thirst to improve and demand your spot. She will most likely be used in training games and for giving a rest to established players.

Midcourt

Australia’s midcourt is also full of doubt in selection, as the players are almost too adaptable. This gives them the advantage of keeping the opposition guessing, and the changes in a moment to alter the pace of the through-court play. New captain Liz Watson, coming back from ankle surgery, is in reportedly great health, and is sure to start at either wing attack or centre. That means that the balance has to be whether Paige Hadley is needed for speed in wing attack or another spot. Jamie-Lee Price and Kate Moloney have been very solid players throughout 2021, both highly suited to centre or wing defence. Naming Ash Brazill for a game day twelve will not be surprising, but she is the outlier of this five, especially as her time at centre for her club always had a very tall post shooter with little movement. A smart move will be to bring in Brazill when another team is tiring and start to pass the ball long and wide. It really will be a day-to-day analysis and a hard look at opponents that make up the mind of Marinkovich.

Defence

Defence has only one big question: Sunday Aryang or Maddy Turner? There’s no doubt that after amazing seasons and boundless experience, Courtney Bruce, Sarah Klau, and Jo Weston, should dominate court time. Aryang at only 21 years would make her debut and is inspirational in her thief-like intercepts, whilst Turner is a tagging player who won best on the ground in the 2021 Super Netball grand final, but she has less than five test caps, so experience is not a real advantage. Which of those is favoured likely comes down to camps and to practise matches, which the public does not see.

Ones to Watch

The exciting selections of the series are Aryang and Watson. Liz Watson continues to be one of the best players in the world, even from the bench. It awaits to be seen how she will come back from injury, and if anything, we have to expect that Moloney’s rise to a new level for Vixens will make that pairing even tougher to beat in the midcourt. Aryang seems to be a sponge, absorbing new tactics so well. Stacey Marinkovich is familiar with Aryang’s ability and no doubt her combination with arguably the world’s best goal keeper, Courtney Bruce will help settle any pre-match nerves. Expect Aryang to really threaten for court time even against the toughness and smarts of Weston.

Photo: Steve McLeod

New Zealand Silver Ferns

Preview by Emily Bruce

Coach: Dame Noeline Taurua

Team List:

The Silver Ferns Squad

The Ferns squad features a mixture of experience and exciting new talent.

Midcourt

In the midcourt, coach Dame Noeline Taurua may look to solidify a combination of players who have frequently featured in starting lineups in other recent series, namely captain Gina Crampton, Sam Winders and Claire Kersten. However, Shannon Saunders – well known for her high fitness levels – has been in incredible form over the past year. When brought on in recent international outings, she has immediately opened up space with her speedy drive to circle edge. Able to cover centre and wing attack, she has also formed a slick combination with Tiana Metuarau at goal attack throughout the domestic season.

Mila Reuelu-Buchanan, an explosive player who usually features at centre, will likely make her debut. She will combine well with Gina Crampton, with whom she plays at domestic level. Taurua could also try out some circle defenders at wing defence. She famously moved Katrina Rore out of the circle and into the starting wing defence bib during the Netball World Cup. Karin Burger and Kayla Johnson both have experience at wing defence and would add height and supreme ball-hunting skills to the midcourt.

Defenders

Taurua has depth and versatility in her pool of defenders available for this series and we can probably expect to see her try out a range of combinations. Without Jane Watson (out due to pregnancy), Sulu Fitzpatrick or Kelly Jury seem likely to take on the goal keep role.

Since Casey Kopua’s retirement, there has been a need for a goal defence who can not only find intercepts but also assist consistently in driving the ball down the Court.  Karin Burger has been formidable as a goal defence in recent times, but Phoenix Karaka and Kayla Johnson are also options.

Many fans will hope to see plenty of court time for Karaka and Johnson, who return to the Ferns for the first time since giving birth and will be travelling with their young daughters in tow.

Shooters

In this squad, there are two players who traditionally play goal attack: Tiana Metuarau and debutant Filda Vui. Maia Wilson – normally a goal shoot – has also been developing her game to include this role.

The Ferns have a potentially lethal weapon in the form of 19-year-old Grace Nweke, who at 1.93 metres (six foot three) is a strong holding goal shooter. This series will hopefully boost her confidence and improve her feeders’ ability to reach her under the post.

A Player to Watch

Tiana Metuarau had a dream Ferns debut last September in the Taini Jamison Trophy Series against the England Roses: She played a full 60 minutes and was named player of the match. This was after a non-traditional rise through the ranks over the last couple of years, which started with her being dropped from the Ferns Development Squad in 2020 and saw her benched for most of that domestic season. But in 2021 she become an essential member of Southern Steel’s squad.

Taurua describes Metuarau as a player with a “bit of sass” but who has maturity out on court. Despite being only 20 years of age, she gave Geva Mentor a real run for her money in her first test. If she demonstrates consistency in these series, in particular up against the likes of Courtney Bruce and Sarah Klau, she may well find herself named in the Commonwealth Games squad.

Weaknesses and Strengths

A strength for the Ferns is their ability to play a patient game of netball, frequently returning to the transverse line where needed on attack. We will likely also see a disciplined side with a low penalty count. A number of the players seem to be at peak fitness – no doubt in part thanks to Taurua’s famously rigorous fitness standards – which should ensure speed and stamina under pressure.

Image. May Bailey

South African SPAR Proteas

Preview by Kyle Fortune and Sindiswa Ganda

Coach: Dorette Badenhorst

Strengths and Weaknesses

Netball South Africa will have a very fresh look this Quad series with players like Shadine van der Merve (injured at team camp) and Lenize Potgieter (taking a mental health break) out for the foreseeable future. There is also the exciting news that international superstar, Karla Pretorius and her husband, are expecting their first child in 2022. This rules out three of the squad’s most experienced players whose leadership and through-court connections will be missed.

But it also creates a bit of excitement with a new-look squad who had the opportunity to build with their Ireland tour, as well as the African Netball Cup. The latter tour saw the debut of the shooting combination Elmeré van der Berg and Jessica Du Plessis and in defence it saw the return of Zanele Vimbela. The Quad Series will really test the depth of this new South Africa squad going into the Commonwealth Games and to see if they are able to bring it to the top nations in the world. But it paves the way to show that this Protea squad is more than just their familiar starting seven.

The real task for SA will be building these young players and executing the experience the side has gained in their 2021 tours.

Shooters

One cannot help but be fearful for the young, inexperienced shooting circle who have not yet come up against such tough competition. A rising star to look out for is Elmeré van der Berg. The u21 superstar got a call up to the national squad last year and has shown herself to be deadly accurate and a target at the post. It will be interesting to see how much court time she will get ahead of shooters Ine-Mari Venter and Sigi Burger who, until now, were from-the-bench players behind Potgieter and the now-retired Maryka Holtzhausen. This is really their opportunity to fight for a starting position.

Defence

A big question for the coaching staff is who will take up Karla’s vacant GD position? Zanele Vimbela who really had a blistering start to her season last year before her ACL injury, is an option. Vimbela and Phumza Maweni are a familiar partnership, having played together during the 2019 Netball World Cup. So, they are likely the preferred starting defensive line.

Simone Rabie or Monique Reyneke are also a reliable pairing. The defenders play together for the Flames in the national league under the guidance of their national coach. They were the more regular combination during the proteas in 2021 African Netball Cup campaign. Nicola Smith is another exciting goal keeper option. The defender was pivotal for the Western Cape Sting in the 2021 TNL and was named defender of the tournament.

Midcourt

The Proteas fiery midcourt is where the most experience is found in the team. The likes of Khanyisa Chawane, Bongi Msomi and Izette Griesel will be the backbone of the team. The duo has played together at the international level for a few years and are very familiar with each others style of play. Expect to see them play a short, sharp game using their considerable speed to their advantage.

The Ones to Watch

The squad will be looking to Bongi Msomi and Phumza Maweni to step up and take charge of the leadership of the squad on court as longest standing team members.

Some of the Fresh Faces in the Mix

By: Katrina Nissen

Unsurprisingly, the Roses are the only team entering the Quad Series with a squad full of experienced athletes. Both the Diamonds and Silver Ferns have two potential debutants, and South Africa bring with them 5 athletes who only have a handful of caps between them and are relatively unknown to their competitors and international fans.

For the Diamonds, the Quad series is the first tour for bookends Sunday Aryang and Sophie Dwyer. Both athletes had outstanding 2021 domestic seasons, with Dwyer taking home the rising star award at the 2021 Australian Netball Awards. Both athletes offer versatility to the Diamonds, with Aryang menacing in goal defence, goal keeper or wing defence, and Dwyer a calm, smooth and potent option in goal shoot and goal attack. Look for both athletes to be used for impact, with Aryang renowned for picking off surprise intercepts.

New Zealand will be hoping to get Mila Reuelu-Buchanan and Filda Vui on the court at some stage through the series. Reuelu-Buchanan is an explosive attacking midcourter with speed to burn and reliable bullet-like feeds. Vui had a dream 2021 coming from the Mystics bench to a Silver Ferns callup. At 180cm, Vui is short for a shooter but makes up for it with constant movement and poise when going to post. Reuelu-Buchanan’s agility will be a challenge for the Diamond’s mid-court defence. Vui will have to rely heavily on her movement against the experienced and tall Roses and Diamonds circle defence.

South Africa has travelled with an array of newly debuted athletes in Simone Rabie, Nicola Smith, Monique Reyneke, Jess du Plessis and Elmere’ van der Berg. Many of these athletes earned their first caps during the Africa Netball Cup in November and collectively they have little more than 10 caps between them. The defensive end has the largest grouping of debutants with Rabie, Smith and Reyneke; the latter combined impressively with Phumza Maweni during the Africa Netball Cup. Expect to see Varsity Netball teammates duo of Plessis and van der Berg combined on court at some stage, with du Plessis able to effectively play wing attack and goal attack to van der Berg’s goal shoot. The advantage that each of these athletes has is their anonymity. This makes them dangerous and unpredictable as their competitors have little opportunity to do their homework before meeting them on court.

Dates

The Quad Series kicks off on January 15 (January 16 for Australian fans) as is played in the following order. Please note times are UK local: