Latest news with #GraceNweke
RNZ News
18 hours ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
Silver Ferns star Grace Nweke awaits Netball NZ eligibility decision
Grace Nweke can't play for the Silver Ferns, after choosing to contest the Aussie Super Netball competition. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/ Netball NZ says it will soon decide on any changes to its eligibility policy, so players can weigh up their options for 2026. That decision can't come soon enough for star shooter Grace Nweke, whose decision to play in the Australian competition ruled her out of playing for the Silver Ferns this year. Chief executive Jennie Wyllie said the NNZ board was reviewing the policy. "That's something that goes hand in hand with a lot of our moving parts at the moment, but it's under consideration and we've made good progress on a direction of travel there," she said. "Still a bit too early to talk to that, we have a lot of stakeholders that we need to work with in the first instance." Time is of the essence, with just four rounds left in both the Australia's Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) and the ANZ Premiership regular seasons. Wyllie said any decision made by the board on eligibility rules would be timely enough for players to make decisions about next year. "Our board understand that, to give our players certainty for the coming year across our system, we need to be able to do this before we go into player contracting, post ANZ Premiership. "The board are taking it under consideration, the timeframes will be conducive to allow clarity for everyone that needs it, when they are making contracting decisions for 2026." Grace Nweke needs to know her options for 2026. Photo: Jason McCawley / Getty Images Nweke said any change could have a big impact on her decision-making and she needed to know where she stood. "Absolutely, there's so many cards on the table in terms of possibilities and options and opportunities, so being able to make an informed decision has been the biggest thing for me," Nweke said. "Since I made my informed decision around this time last year to play here, I haven't really had any more information about the future, so just waiting to know what my options are and what I guess the implications of option A, B, C, D would look like for me is kind of key." The current policy is designed to encourage the country's top netballers to play in the New Zealand league, so it remains strong. If the criteria does not change and Nweke opts to stay in Australia, she would miss next year's Commonwealth Games. The 23-year-old will have to make a decision soon. "It's getting about that time where you think about what you're doing the following season, so definitely looking forward to hearing whatever comes out of Netball New Zealand." Typically, clubs can already re-sign current contracted players in the SSN, before a contracting window opens after the Grand Final to approach players from other clubs. New Zealand is similar, with the added complication that Netball NZ is still finalising a broadcast deal - its current Sky agreement is expiring at the end of the year. The bargaining process for a new 2026 collective agreement between the Players' Association and Netball New Zealand will be delayed, until the national body reaches an agreement on broadcast rights. NNZ has already confirmed that a six-team domestic competition will continue in 2026. "It will be visible to our fans, but we're just working through that detail," Wyllie said. Nweke said she could feel the growth she had made since joining SSN, and had learnt a lot from playing against a range of international defenders from Jamaica, England and Australia. "Each week, teams are working on ways to combat our attacking unit, so there are moments where I genuinely feel quite stumped or really challenged, and I go to the bench, and ask for coaching and advice. The opportunity to learn in the moment has been awesome." Casey Kopua has come out of retirement to fulfill her Super Netball ambition. Photo: Brendon Thorne Silver Fern centurion Casey Kopua made a shock return to netball, when she came out of retirement three weeks ago to help the injury-depleted Giants, halfway through the SSN season. Kopua, 40, retired from elite netball, after helping the Silver Ferns win the 2019 Netball World Cup, but had always wanted to play in the SSN. She will mark Nweke when her side plays the Swifts on Sunday and said she could understand the appeal for players who wanted to test themselves across the Tasman. Kopua said she missed the former trans-Tasman competition, when it ended after the 2016 season. "I was a big advocate for that to carry on," she said. "I loved coming up against the Aussies, and you could test yourself and see where you were at. "Also, I guess, it kept you at that international level, so when you played them internationally, it wasn't so much of a shock. I was all for that, playing them week in and week out." The eligibility issue first came to the forefront when teammate Laura Langman wanted to play in Australia. She was eventually given an exemption and captained the Silver Ferns to the 2019 World Cup victory. While she could see both sides of the debate, Kopua said playing in the SSN could only be a good thing for Nweke's game. "She's going to be learning a whole lot more skills and tools that she can bring back. If it makes her a better person and a better player, then why not? "She's an outstanding player and I think that New Zealand Netball need her." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
ABC News
4 days ago
- Sport
- ABC News
Super Netball Round-Up: Crackdown on backchat, Swifts hit rough spot and Diamonds coach helps lift Firebirds camp
It's hard to believe — given the poor start of some teams — but with a month left to go in the regular season, all eight Super Netball clubs can still make finals. The desperation was evident in round 10, as the bottom four desperately tried to keep their seasons alive. Sadly, for either the Queensland Firebirds or Melbourne Mavericks, their chances will be squashed in round 11, when seventh and eighth meet in Brisbane. Both teams gave their all on the weekend, as the Mavericks fell to the West Coast Fever, 69-63, and the Firebirds were defeated by the Adelaide Thunderbirds, 65-58. In her maiden campaign with the NSW Swifts, Grace Nweke became the first shooter to reach 500 goals this season. But she also registered her lowest individual score of 40 goals as she took a back seat while the NSW Swifts re-introduced Sophie Fawns to their line-up. The Swifts were undefeated for eight rounds before suffering consecutive losses in a surprising mid-season slump. First to the Fever and now the Melbourne Vixens, 70-68. Meanwhile, the Giants defied all odds to clinch back-to-back victories for the first time in two years. They beat the Sunshine Coast Lightning, 78-68, to move out of wooden spoon contention. If you missed it, don't worry — we'll get you up to speed with our Super Netball Round-Up. Twice throughout the second half of the Mavericks' game, midcourter Tayla Fraser had an infringement advanced when she expressed frustration at an umpire call. For anyone new to the sport, this means the opposing team gets to take the ball further up the court than where the infringement happened in order to gain a bigger advantage. At the time, Vixens captain Kate Moloney was in commentary for Fox Netball and remarked: "That's been something the umpires have been really hot on this season, is any reaction or any chat back to them, and that's why the ball was advanced there." However, Netball Australia's umpiring head coach Sharon Kelly told ABC Sport there has been no direction whatsoever of a crackdown and perhaps it is actually World Netball's rule changes that have made these instances more obvious. "The rule was adjusted at the beginning of last year that for 'disputed ruling', which used to be called 'dissent', it is now an advancement," Kelly said. "Prior to that, it was dealt with by proactive advice or a caution, so that may make people feel like it's being officiated a little differently. "The rule book now says that a disputed ruling will be an advancement underneath foul play, and I don't feel that there's been any more of it than usual. "The players seem to respond better to this, because I believe the caution was starting to become a little bit like white noise. "It wasn't being effective in changing the player's behaviour, whereas an advancement does." Another example worth noting was from the Swifts match two rounds ago, where Helen Housby was called for contact late in the third quarter and showed some dissent with regards to the call, raising her arms in protest. "Goal attack, be quiet," she was told by the umpire before the game played on. The umpire's assertion proved to work from that point on in the game where there was no longer any backchat from players. A harder stance on backchat at the Super Netball level has sparked some discussion at a community level. A parent of a junior netballer told ABC Sport hardline officiating with regards to backchat had been discussed within their club. There were concerns the stance may be copied by young impressionable umpires who officiate local games. "In Super Netball, the game is played at such speed that sometimes, whilst the umpires will try hard to give very succinct directions to a player, the wording comes out harsh," Kelly said. "We appreciate that we want to get it right so that we are respectful of each other and set an example, but we need to acknowledge that there's an example to be set by the players as well." What has happened to the Swifts' form? Their defeat to the Vixens was much tighter than their loss to the Fever (79-68) but they had to use the super shot to claw the score back. Without the 12 two-pointers the Swifts converted, the final score would've been 64-44. There have also been some interesting selection decisions made by head coach Briony Akle, who has put more faith in her 11th player than her senior athletes. The rule brought in last year, allowing each club to sign an extra player on top of their senior 10, means that player can rotate in and out of the squad at any time. Akle has opted to use Swifts No.11 Grace Whyte on a regular basis, as she looks for more midcourt cover from a wing attack, goal attack swing. As a result, Fawns has only just hit the court in round 10. Fawns played 12 minutes in total across the last three quarters, helping to share the super shot load with Housby. She did miss an attempt with 32 seconds to go to level the game, but we can't hold that against her, given it was Fawns' first game of the season. Nweke has been on fire in regular time but has missed all three of her attempts at a super shot. Although it's made sense for the Swifts to put all their eggs in one basket and focus on feeding Nweke while they've been winning, teams have now worked out the best way to combat them is to isolate Housby. And once she's cut off, they lack a second long bomb specialist. The other big talking point is their midcourt. By choosing both Whyte and Fawns for round 10, Akle then had to make a tough call on her middies. In the end it was Allie Smith — who has provided great impact off the bench — that missed out. There has been a lot of praise for the Swifts' versatility, but is constant rotation in the midcourt a good thing? Maybe it actually demonstrates that their starting combos aren't clicking the way they should, and they've struggled to find a consistent wing attack alongside Paige Hadley to replace Maddy Proud's spot while she's been on maternity leave. Akle made a total 26 changes in this game. The Vixens made zero. Plus, the Swifts lacked the punch through the middle that Smith provides at centre. So, who makes the cut for the upcoming NSW Derby against the Giants? After a great start, winning two on the trot, the Firebirds have found themselves in a world of pain. Yet after their eighth straight loss, there were actually a lot of positives to talk about. New head coach Kiri Wills has slowly identified her best combinations and these were on show in round 10. An appearance from Aussie Diamonds head coach Stacey Marinkovich at training last week also seemed to give the Firebirds squad a lift in energy. Marinkovich has been visiting all of the teams one-by-one as she finalises her decisions around national contracts. The 2025/26 squad is expected to be announced after round 14 at the end of the regular season. It is not known whether it was simply the Firebirds' turn or whether Marinkovich was asked to come along this week by Wills. But it is generous of the Diamonds coach to share her insights like this, especially with imports playing in the league from opposing countries like Ugandan She Cranes talent Mary Cholhok. Speaking of shooters, Abigail Latu-Meafou has been growing in confidence each week as an injury replacement for the Firebirds and was almost the hero of this game. The Samoan international brought the scoreline back within one with two and a half minutes to go. She probably deserves a full-time contract next season. Her hot hand in the super shot arc had us all on the edge of our seats, before a couple of mistakes were capitalised on by Thunderbirds captain Hannah Petty and the two-time defending premiers scored five times in a row to hold onto the lead. It was the same predictable outcome, sure. But overall, their performance was much improved and should give fans a glimmer of hope about where they're headed next year. Marinkovich's presence clearly made an impact and perhaps a different voice in camp gave them the push they needed to keep fighting.
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Weston stars as Vixens make big step towards Super Netball glory
Melbourne Vixens coach Simone McKinnis hailed a thrilling win over the NSW Swifts as a 'significant step' for her team after holding off the ladder leaders to claim their first top-four scalp of the season in a boost to their finals ambitions. Storming to their fourth consecutive win, the Vixens defied a flurry of late super shots from Swifts goal attack Helen Housby to inflict the second loss of the season on the table-topping team with their 70-68 victory at John Cain Arena on Sunday. The win put the Vixens back in fourth spot on the ladder ahead of the Thunderbirds, who they are battling for a finals berth. Last season's runners-up to Adelaide, the Vixens have found their groove after a shaky start to their campaign when they struggled to find consistency and even had McKinnis suggest a trip to the pub was needed to inject life into their 'flat' game. The Vixens led throughout the match – and by as much as 11 goals in the third quarter – but the Swifts stormed home and threatened to steal the game off the back of some superb super shot shooting from Housby and a lift in defensive intensity. Vixens goal defence Jo Weston was named player of the match as the back-court stalwart finished with three deflections and two long-range goal assists from midcourt. Weston worked overtime with goal keeper Rudi Ellis to restrict the impact of Swifts' star import Grace Nweke (40 from 43) and Housby (11/13). At the other end, goalers Sophie Garbin (47/49) and Kiera Austin (20/23, including three of four two-pointers) also starred with their connection in the circle back to its best. The victory was the Vixens' first win of the season against a team in the top four after earlier losses to the Thunderbirds, West Coast Fever, Swifts and Lightning, who they face again next round on the road. McKinnis, in her last season as Vixens' coach, said the win against a top-four opponent was an important breakthrough, but the team could not yet afford to look any further ahead than its next battle. 'I'm really pleased, super happy. I thought they did an amazing job taking the game on from the start,' McKinnis said. 'I thought it was important for us to be able to get that win, we haven't had one over a team that's in the (top) four. I thought it was a significant step for us, but super proud of the girls. 'We have got Sunshine Coast Lightning next week and we had a poor game against them earlier in the year, so we want to put out a good game next week. 'It is just that shift now to Lightning … what's going to give us the best opportunity to have the best result that we can get next Saturday night? 'Things are in our hands, but we just have to keep that focus on the here and now.' Swifts' goal shooter Sophie Fawns, who replaced Nweke in the power play periods, missed her final two-point attempt with just over 30 seconds left to play in the match, which would have drawn the scores. The Swifts retain top spot on the ladder by percentage only over the Fever, but Swifts coach Briony Akle was pragmatic after the loss. 'I thought when we had that shot at the end, maybe we should have gone for a one-pointer, but it is what it is,' Akle said. 'If we got the goal, it would have been great, but we didn't and that's sport. 'I never like to lose, but I feel like Vixens are a top side and I thought they were amazing tonight in their attack. 'I expected a really hard game and they just came out and we didn't have answers. Disappointed but moving forward.' WESTON WIND-UP McKinnis was able to have a laugh about the trademark Weston wind-up after her pair of goal assists from centre court, but praised the 'outstanding' defensive leadership of the Diamonds' defender. 'You can see it coming because you watch her and you go, 'Oh, here we go',' McKinnis said. 'But I thought Jo was outstanding today. Just the workrate and the leadership for those around her has just been so good. So I'll let her have a couple of goal assists. 'The discipline is something that we have spoken about, we have been highly penalised and that decision-making and staying in play. 'Jo is so competitive, she would be one of the most competitive people I know. But for her to be able manage that, the decision-making and keep the pressure on … and just the support she shows to Rudi as well. 'The whole attack end of Swifts is a tough attack end, it's just that mindset which Jo has to keep persevering and just keep at it.' CONSECUTIVE LOSSES The Swifts stormed into premiership favouritism after a blistering start to the season when they won their opening eight matches. With their blockbuster off-season signing, Silver Ferns star Nweke dominating under the post, many had considered the Swifts an early lock for this year's crown. But consecutive losses in the past two rounds have shown they are not bulletproof. The Fever flexed their flag credentials last round with an 11-goal win over the Swifts in Sydney before the Vixens handed them their first loss on the road. 'It's just reality checks around accountability and working as a unit,' Akle said. 'As any coach would, we will go back and have a look at the footage and delve deeply into that and what that means for us moving forward, but I haven't lost any faith.' The Swifts face the Giants in a Sydney derby next round. SUPER SHOT STAR Housby did her best to almost single-handedly drag the Swifts over the line in the final quarter with an almost flawless performance from two-point range. The English international nailed eight of nine two-point attempts for the match, including four in the final power play period. 'It is not easy shooting those super shots under pressure when you are 10 down and the whole team relying on you,' Akle said. 'I thought Sophie (four from seven two-pointers) came on and supported her beautifully in that role tonight. She hasn't had a lot of court time obviously, but the minutes she had I thought she was extremely valuable and helped Helen out and just released that pressure valve for her as well.'
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Super-shooter's 71 goals as Fever end Swifts' streak
The great Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard has scored 71 goals as the West Coast Fever ended the NSW Swifts' unbeaten start to the Super Netball season with an impressive 79-68 win at Ken Rosewall Arena. In a heavyweight blockbuster between the competition's two best teams, the Fever (7-2) started quickly and finished with a flourish, extending their winning streak to seven and ending the Swifts' eight-game unbeaten run in 2025. Remarkably, NSW have never tasted victory against West Coast at their Sydney home base, a trend that continued on Saturday night. Unbeaten no more. Fever too strong in Sydney 💥 — Suncorp Super Netball (@SuperNetball) June 7, 2025 "It's really good," said Fowler-Nembhard, the world's best shooter, who missed just one shot attempt all evening. "I came up against some brilliant defenders. "The Swifts are an incredible team and we couldn't come here and underestimate them." At the other end, NSW shooter Grace Nweke racked up a whopping 13 rebounds to go with 48 goals at a less efficient 80 per cent. After a goal-for-goal opening, the Fever created some separation through Fowler-Nembhard, who hit 21 in the opening stanza to give the visitors a 22-16 buffer at the first change. Fowler-Nembhard's connection in attack with the likes of Alice Teague-Neeld, Jordan Cransberg and Shanice Beckford was a feature. The home side rang in the changes in the second period, particularly in defence, as the contest became scrappier and more physical after opening in clean, clinical fashion. Fowler-Nembhard had 37 by half-time, while Nweke was off-target in the Swifts' attack, hounded relentlessly by Kadie-Ann Dehaney. West Coast held sway 39-32 at the main break before NSW lifted through co-captain Paige Hadley and goal attack Helen Housby. Housby's sixth two-pointer trimmed the margin to three before Fowler-Nembard's second-chance goal put the Fever in front 59-55 with a quarter to play. But the last term belonged emphatically to West Coast, who shot 20-of-20 to the Swifts' 11-of-19 to put the rest of the competition on notice.
ABC News
26-05-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Super Netball round-up: Nweke vs Bruce, Giants desperately need change and we're down to one Indigenous athlete
We've reached the midway point of the Super Netball season and what a way to celebrate. First Nations Round held across the weekend was a massive hit. Positioned on the calendar ahead of National Reconciliation Week, it aims to start a conversation about how Indigenous and non-Indigenous people can work together in the sport. In a top of the ladder clash the NSW Swifts continued their unbeaten streak and have now defeated all seven teams, downing the Sunshine Coast Lightning 70-62. The West Coast Fever beat the Giants 75-66 as Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard claimed her fourth player of the match award this season and became the first shooter to reach 9,000 goals. The Melbourne Vixens handed the Queensland Firebirds their fifth straight loss, 70-52, and the Adelaide Thunderbirds got back on track with a 66-59 victory over the Melbourne Mavericks. The Thunderbirds were also the first Super Netball club to follow the AFL's lead and take on an Indigenous name for the round. They were known as Tarntanya Karntu after working with Uncle Mickey O'Brien to translate their name into Kaurna language. If you missed it, don't worry — we'll get you up to speed with our Super Netball Round-Up. When the Swifts secured the signature of Silver Ferns target Grace Nweke, our first thought was 'how good'. Now we get to see our favourite Constellation Cup battle happen on a regular basis. Nweke has previously complained about the physicality she is subjected to against the Diamonds and getting used to this would have been one of the driving forces that led her to sacrifice national selection to sign with a Super Netball team in order to grow her game. We didn't see the pair meet during the pre-season as Bruce was being managed in her return from injury. We've had to wait seven rounds into the official competition and even then, Lightning head coach Belinda Reynolds made us wait another 10 minutes, when she started Ash Ervin (192cm) at goal keeper before injecting Bruce (189cm) later as a rolling sub. Perhaps Reynolds wanted to see what the extra height could do? Maybe it was mind games? What we do know is that once Bruce was on court the fireworks started and we couldn't look away. There was some serious tension in that goal circle between Nweke and all three of the Lightning's defenders — Bruce, Ervin and Tara Hinchliffe. Shoving, grabbing, and jostling for space. Bruce and Nweke lined up front-on at points, face-to-face, and neither took a backward step. The game is supposed to have eradicated the tussle for ball after a goal to get it back faster for the next centre pass, but these two couldn't help themselves. It was on. There were also a few flops as the athletes played up the contact to try and gain an advantage. Overall, Nweke won this round. She was named player of the match for her 50 goals at 89 per cent. Bruce registered zero gains and stood out of play nine times. She only lasted 10 minutes at goal keeper in her direct match-up against Nweke before she was shifted to goal defence, when Reynolds re-introduced Ervin. This allowed the Lightning to incorporate more height and for Bruce to float forward and then drop back as she continued to ruffle Nweke's feathers. But in an interview afterwards, Nweke looked as if she could cry. It was not the kind of emotion expected from a winning player. It appears the physicality got to her and she was frustrated she'd let Bruce get in her head. Nweke missed six goals and had four general play turnovers, as errors crept into her game as the match wore on. But this is what she's here to do. Learn how to deal with that physicality. Nweke is the ticket to a Swifts premiership and if she can continue to cop that kind of attention and deliver, she'll be much stronger for it. It feels like Groundhog Day as the Giants and Firebirds sit in the same ladder positions they finished last season. The Firebirds have at least had some change in personnel. Although at the midway point they are no better off results wise than they were when they parted with Bec Bulley after two wins from nine rounds in 2024. For the Giants, this is now their worst season to date. With just one victory in seven rounds, they've stooped lower than the two wins they had midway through season 2023 and 2024. They have gone backwards over the last three years and as a result, there are people at the club who will now be fighting for a contract. Jamie-Lee Price, Sophie Dwyer, Erin O'Brien and Jamaican import Jodi-Ann Ward are safe, as their only players locked in for 2026. Julie Fitzgerald is the most experienced coach in the league and is in the last year of her current deal. Is it time for fresh ideas? How much longer will Jo Harten play? Has Matisse Letherbarrow done enough to take over the starting GS bib? The Giants have played two grand finals in their nine-year existence. They know what it takes to be successful, but they have become complacent and are no longer up to scratch. It won't help that co-captain Price has openly indicated she wants to move to Melbourne to be with her partner and AFL footballer Harry Perryman who plays for Collingwood. If inaugural figures Price, Harten and Fitzgerald all go in a short period, who carries on the legacy of the Giants? At a time where Welcome to Countries are such a hot topic, we saw four engaging and unique ceremonies held before the games. The dresses featuring First Nations artwork were some of the best designs we've seen in the history of the league. The elephant in the room, though, was that we are back to championing a single Indigenous player in Australia's top-flight competition. Leesa Mi Mi (Wakka Wakka) is the only Aboriginal or Torres Straight Islander across eight teams — just as her sister Jemma was years earlier. For the past two seasons there was also Donnell Wallam (Noongar), but she left to play in the New Zealand Premiership. During Jemma Mi Mi's career she was one of 80 athletes. Now each team has an option to sign 11 players and the Firebirds were the only club not to take up that offer in 2025. That means the size of the playing group has increased, but its Indigenous representation has decreased. From the outside it looks like one step forward and three steps back. However, Netball Australia First Nations engagement lead Ali Tucker-Munro (Kamilaroi) says there is progress under the surface. Tucker-Munro started in her role last year and implemented three programs that have highlighted the existing talent in the pathways: the Black Swans team, a First Nations tournament and a First Nations coaching course. At the national netball championships last month, Tia Molo (Waanyi) won the under-19 MVP award representing Queensland. There were also three Indigenous coaches at the helm of state teams, including Vanessa Dempsey (Narungga, Ngarrindjeri and Jingili) who guided South Australia to the under-17 title. Meanwhile, there are Indigenous players taking part in Super Netball Reserves. This talent will pop its head up in the coming years as the sport plays the long game and ensures the representation is organic and sustainable. "Representation is really important to our community and it is going to take time to create that pipeline," Tucker-Munro told ABC Sport. "We're building on what we began last year and look, Vanessa became the first Aboriginal coach to win a national underage title, so there's little pieces of the puzzle coming together. "We're planting seeds, and the shoots are sprouting, but it's about giving the sport time to see these programs bear fruit in the near future."
