The Silver Ferns know they have to put in the hard yards to win gold at the Commonwealth Games, which starts next week.
This follows a disappointing result in the Taini Jamison Trophy last weekend.
Silver Ferns captain Katrina Grant Photo: © Photosport Ltd 2018 www.photosport.nz
The Ferns were convincingly beaten by Jamaica in the series, resulting in former coach Robyn Broughton voicing concern about the team.
Captain Katrina Grant knows the recent results have people questioning the Ferns’ ability to perform on the world stage. “Which is fair enough, because we haven’t been performing as well as we can,” she says. “But as long as our families have got our back and we’ve got each other’s backs …that’s all that matters.”
The results could have had a negative impact on the Ferns’ Commonwealth Games preparation, but Grant says the team culture is as strong as ever.
“You can’t fall apart. [This is] where team culture comes to fruition,” she says. “We’ve done a lot of work … on and off the court. [We’ve] been honest with each other. That bring you tighter. Without that you can’t move forward.
“We are lucky we have a tight unit. We are trying to do everything we can [to win].”
The Ferns’ first game is against Uganda on April 5, followed by Wales, Malawi and Scotland. The biggest pool play game comes against England on April 11 and Grant knows this is the one that counts.
“[The] England game is hugely important,” she says. “[We’ll] rotate our team so we can have some top players rested for that game."
Grant accepts it will be an uphill battle to claim gold at the Gold Coast, but still believes it is a realistic goal for the Ferns. “We’re confident in ourselves,” she says, “We're going to go over there and put in some hard work.”
