Taurua treads diplomatic netball line

Successful coach Noeline Taurua says her heart is with New Zealand, but she is under contract to Super Netball franchise Sunshine Coast Lightning.

She's widely regarded as the answer to New Zealand's netball woes and clearly passionate about the Silver Ferns, but successful coach Noeline Taurua is waiting to see what the review into the team delivers.

A former Fern herself, Taurua found it tough watching New Zealand struggle at the recent Commonwealth Games, where they missed out on a medal.

Netball NZ expects to announce the results of a review into the team sometime in June.

Incumbent Ferns coach Janine Southby is under contract for next year, but may find it hard to retain the job after the team''s poor performance on the Gold Coast.

Taurua would be a popular and logical choice to be the next coach, given her outstanding record over the past decade.

She steered Magic and Sunshine Coast Lightning to trans-Tasman and Super Netball titles respectively, the latter in their first year of existence, and also did well in her one year with Southern Steel.

With Southby still the Ferns coach and herself contracted to the Lightning until the end of 2019, Taurua was understandably diplomatic in her choice of words.

But her passion for the Ferns was evident when asked if she would be interested if the position became available and approached to fill a vacancy.

"My heart is always with New Zealand," Taurua told AAP after the Lightning started their Super Netball title defence with a 54-51 away loss to the Giants on Sunday.

"I don't know, I'm with Lightning at the moment until 2019 and I think if an approach is made (to coach New Zealand) then you take one step at s time and then decide what is right.

"It's not only myself that would be involved in any decision that would be made on my future, it's the club, it's our team.

"I think you've just got to take one stage at a time so (New Zealand are) very dear to me, but no use worrying about something thats not there."

Taurua said it would be interesting to see what the review produced.

"We have actually got some really good players in New Zealand and sometimes a good shakeup is always good," Taurua said.

"It makes an organisation or a team or a club really look at yourself."


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Source: AAP


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