Potential Silver Ferns get put through paces

JASON OXENHAM/Fairfax NZ

NO RESPITE: Silver Ferns captain Casey Williams says it was straight back into intense training after a week of partying following the ANZ Championship triumph with the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic.

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Potential Silver Ferns aren't lacking opportunities to impress at this week's trials in Auckland, with the 25 players being put through six hours of match play.

The trials started on Monday with several meetings and fitness testing, before the players marked up against one another for the first time yesterday.

The players are being rotated through, and tried, in various combinations under the eyes of coach Waimarama Taumaunu and fellow selectors Jo Morrison, Raewyn Henry, Margaret Forsyth and Gael Nagaiya, who will on Monday name a team of 12 for September's three-match Constellation Cup series against the Australian Netball Diamonds.

Yesterday morning the players went through six intense 15-minute quarters and did the same again in the afternoon.

Today they will have two lots of four quarters and tomorrow will see them take part in a probables versus possibles game.

Regular captain Casey Williams was feeling the rigours of hitting the court for the first time since the ANZ Championship title triumph with the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic on July 22, which was followed by a "week of partying".

"Personally, I'm happy with my fitness results but probably out on the court I just feel a little bit rusty," the 27-year-old said, adding that was to be expected.

"Obviously we've been training the last two weeks but not so much netball, so just getting the feel back out on court. But it's fun though, it's exciting to be back here."

Williams said they had the week off after getting back from Melbourne but after that it was straight into training again and it was intense enough that she "couldn't walk at all".

"But it's good, we need to put our bodies through that so it makes it all easier when we're playing."

In terms of regaining the Silver Ferns captaincy - having relinquished it to Laura Langman last year when injured - Williams has been left in anticipation at this stage.

"I'm not entirely sure, I don't know about that. I hope so," she said of the prospect of leading her country again.

The focus remains very narrow at this trial, as although Williams has had a look at Australia's squad which was named last weekend, nothing has been talked about to combat their players or tactics.

"At the moment we're just at the trial phase so that's all we're worried about, this week till Friday, and then we move on," Williams said.

"Obviously we know what we want to do all the way to 2015 but at the moment concentrating on the trials week."

For Williams, this trial situation is something different to normal but she said it was a good opportunity for the selectors to see everyone - some who hardly got on court during the ANZ Championship - and she felt that all the other players were already putting their hands up.

"Some people are going home on Thursday and you want to do your best. It also keeps pushing us because we know that our spots aren't secure either."

Meanwhile, England Netball has confirmed the reasons for the absence of three key players from both their squad for next month's home series against Jamaica as well as the squad for the Quad Nations which also involves New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.

While other ANZ Championship players have been named, Northern Mystics midcourter Jade Clarke, New South Wales Swifts defender Sonia Mkoloma and Melbourne Vixens defender Geva Mentor are out.

Clarke is taking a short break from international netball for personal reasons, Mentor was unable to fully commit to the high performance programme for personal reasons and Mkoloma had asked not to be considered for selection this season.

- © Fairfax NZ News