Rob Wright on Jamaica ‘shambles’ and Netball World Cup ‘danger’ pool

Experienced netball coach Rob Wright.
Photo: Supplied by Simon Leonard, Netball Scoop

Veteran Australian coach Rob Wright says last year’s series flop against the Silver Ferns was a bad look for Jamaica and says they’ve found themselves in a tricky pool at July’s Netball World Cup as a result.

Wright became the Northern Mystics’ assistant coach in 2021, becoming New Zealand’s first male coach at the elite level.

In 2014 Wright became the first male head coach in the old trans-Tasman netball league when he took over at the New South Wales Swifts.

Wright will be heading to Cape Town in July for the Netball World Cup as a specialist defensive coach for Jamaican.

Jamaica’s World Cup team will barely resemble the side that New Zealand thrashed 2-nil in last September’s Taini Jamison series.

Only three players from the side that won silver at last year’s Birmingham Commonwealth Games played in the series against the Silver Ferns.

The team’s arrival was delayed before only seven players landed in New Zealand as a result of visa issues.

Listen to the full interview.

“To be brutally honest I thought it was a shambles on our part and it was very unfortunate so I don’t think it painted us in a good light and New Zealand had certainly done a lot to help us so very disappointing, however hopefully by Worlds we have got a good side but there’s plenty of good sides,” Wright said.

World Netball eventually imposed the maximum fine of GBP £5,000 (NZ $9,800) on Netball Jamaica.

Last month Netball Jamaica launched a Go Fund page to help raise funds for the Sunshine Girls’ preparation and participation at the World Cup, underlining the financial struggles that the sport endures.

Jamaica won silver at last year’s Commonwealth Games, their best ever finish at a pinnacle event.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The Jamaican players, who compete in Australia’s Super Netball competition, are in scintillating form with goal keeper Shamera Sterling leading the way as usual.

“They’re playing fairly well and that’s probably an understatement, they are world class really and let’s hope they can continue with that form leading into worlds because that will be exciting.”

Jamaica also lost world ranking points for failing to fulfil the original Taini Jamison fixtures.

That led to Jamaica dropping to fourth in the world rankings update late last year, with England jumping to third, which had an impact on the World Cup pools.

Had Jamaica not dropped to fourth, the Silver Ferns would be meeting England in their side of the draw, but instead are on course to meet the dangerous Sunshine Girls in preliminary stage two and a resurgent South Africa.

“We got penalised out of that debacle series which meant we lost some ranking points so that put us into four, rather than three which would have put us in a different pool but that’s our own fault in reality.”

England and Australia will be jockeying for semi-final spots on the other side of the draw.

Wright is wary about being in the same group as South Africa and believes there could be a genuine three way fight for a top two finish to qualify for the semi-finals.

“With Norma Plummer back all of a sudden I think they’re going to be an incredibly different side to what we saw at Comm Games.”

Netball South Africa is throwing everything it has at the Proteas with the country hosting its first ever Netball World Cup.

Former Australia coach Norma Plummer who is now in charge of South Africa.
Photo: Photosport

Karla Pretorius and Lenize Potgieter have returned to the side and veteran Australian coach Norma Plummer is back in charge after answering an SOS call after last year’s sixth placed finish at the Commonwealth Games.

Plummer took the squad down to Australia for a training camp in February and held an intense three week training camp in South Africa in March for the players who don’t ply their trade in the Australian and UK leagues.

In March the president of Netball South Africa told SABC Sport that the national body demanded a podium finish …”We had a meeting with her [Norma Plummer], and she promised us that the team would not embarrass the nation.”

Wright believes Australia, who won the Commonwealth Games gold medal last year are the clear favourites.

“And New Zealand is very clever, they’ve got a six week lead in into Worlds with Dame Noeline so they’re going to have a lot of time together. I think they’re second favourites really.”

“I think we’re in that next echelon but we’ve just got to continue working on consistency. I thought we learnt some really good stuff out of the Commonwealth Games. It was my first Comm Games and I thought personally I probably over worked our defenders a bit which probably in the final didn’t help us as much as it would.

“So there’s some things we learnt from that and hopefully we can push because we want to be in the finals, that’s the first thing you’ve got to do.”

“We have a team that on their day can beat any team but in saying that I think so can Australia, so can New Zealand, so can England, and probably so can South Africa so I take nothing for granted, we have to work incredibly hard to get to the four and then we’ll see where we’re at from there.”

Wright believed the Australian Diamonds were playing a dangerous game by having such a tight turn around between the end of the SSN season and the World Cup.

“I think it’s an incredibly dangerous strategy, luckily they are number one in the world and they might be able to afford to do that but to only finish 20 days before worlds, wow, they’re obviously super confident in their ability to go with that.

“Dame Noeline’s six week lead in I would be wanting that every day of the week. If Australia did that they would be even more scary. They’re number one in the world for a reason, they’re favourites going into this, they are an incredibly strong side but wow either they’re underestimating New Zealand or I’m not quite sure so I think wow I wouldn’t be doing it.”

Mystics chase top spot

Photo: Supplied by Nicole Mudgway, Netball Scoop

The Mystics finish the regular season with games against the Tactix and Stars this weekend.

The Pulse booked their place in the finals series when they beat the Mystics 62-56 last weekend, leapfrogging them on the table.

But the Mystics could leap frog the Pulse, who only have one game this weekend, and secure direct entry to the ANZ Premiership grand final.

Wright, who is the side’s specialist defensive coach, said there was a lot for them to work on after the loss to the Pulse.

“From a defensive point of view they [Mystics defenders] felt like they probably didn’t really do their jobs well enough and if you’re not doing your job then it’s very hard for your unit to work. At times it was just breaking down somewhere, which meant our [whole] unit would break down.

“The first quarter really killed us at both ends. Neither of our ends functioned particularly well in the first quarter.”

Silver Ferns’ shooter Grace Nweke looked frustrated at some of the passes her team-mates were delivering her.

“Some of our choices into Grace weren’t so flash, at times I think we needed an extra pass in there but that means we’ve got to keep working to have that extra pass. I thought they forced us into some longer ball than possibly that we wanted.”

Michaela Sokolich-Beatson.
Photo: Photosport

Captain Sulu Fitzpatrick struggled to contain young gun shooter Amelia Walmsley at times.

“We were very clear on how we wanted to play her [Walmsley] but it didn’t quite work, we’ll take that away and make some tweaks here and there and come back better next time, if there is a next time [against the Pulse].

“There were some things that we probably didn’t execute that we should have and we got found out because of that.”

Wright said Michaela Sokolich-Beatson was one of the bright spots in that game, continuing her strong second season post two achilles injuries.

Wright said the wing defence-goal defence slide was having a great year.

“Especially after being out for a couple of years I always think that first season back sometimes is a bit of a building year so I think she has been pretty outstanding and I thought today probably our best player. I thought she did her job and a number would put their hands up says they didn’t do theirs.”

The side has been without shooter Monica Falkner for their last five games for personal reasons and Wright wasn’t sure if the 27-year-old would be available this weekend, which has limited the side’s options at goal attack.

Wright said the team was looking forward to this weekend’s challenge.

“Fantastic opportunity to regroup and stand up because every game is incredibly difficult. Hopefully we’re in finals and then all this is then preparing us for when finals come so we’ve just got to be a little bit better.”