‘Its not what you do it’s the way that you do it, and that’s what gets results’ is how the song goes, and it would appear to be true of the ANZ Netball Championship.
Last night the West Coast Fever won their last home game of the season, to equal their record of five wins in a season set in 2009, and they still have one game to go.
The Southern Steel remained in mathematical contention for the finals before last night’s 14-goal loss to the Fever.Post match their coach Janine Southby who has coached the New Zealand side to a much-improved season asked for something to be done about the way the game is officiated as the differences, between Australia and New Zealand are affecting performances.
She was quoted as saying to sportsnewsfirst.com.au that officials from each country need to get together and work together on finding common ground in terms of interpretation of the rules.
“It’s frustrating because when you don’t come up against it every week you sometimes come back and forget that things are done differently. It means you have a different preparation from week to week, and I know the Australian teams find it going over our way too.I do think for the game to have some consistency from a playing perspective that it should happen. It’s hard on the players to adjust week to week not knowing what is going to get called. It is challenging.” Southby said.
Some may say that her words smack of sour grapes having seen their season come to an end against a fired up Fever side smarting from Coach Norma Plummer’s public roasting last week. However that would be unfair, this issue has been raised throughout the 2013 season and hopefully the powers that be will sit down in the off season and come up with a plan that will result in more consistency.
Fever fans will also be looking at the word consistency to see if their team can put together a similar performance away to the Melbourne Vixens in their last game of the 2013 season.
