Netball NZ boss Jennie Wyllie urges restraint during Dame Noeline Taurua standoff

Netball NZ chief executive Jennie Wyllie has urged the game's followers to step back from their keyboards, as the national body tries to negotiate the future of Silver Ferns coach Dame Noeline Taurua, after another setback to that process.

The standoff between Dame Noeline and Netball NZ will continue, with the coach now sidelined for the rest of the year - a move that will be seen as unthinkable by many netball fans.

Taurua was sensationally stood down 11 days out from the Taini Jamison series against South Africa last month and her future as coach of the national side now looks bleak.

A gruelling two-day meeting between Netball New Zealand and Taurua earlier this week has failed to break the deadlock.

On Saturday afternoon, Netball NZ issued a statement saying, despite genuine effort from the national body and Dame Noeline, a resolution regarding the Silver Ferns "high performance programme and environment" had not yet been reached.

"Over the past few weeks, NNZ has pursued every pathway with Dame Noeline to bring her back into the Silver Ferns environment at this time. NNZ is disappointed that this has not been possible."

The national body has declined to comment on the reasons for Taurua's suspension, citing legal and privacy constraints - a silence that has fuelled speculation within the netball community.

The impasse has drawn howls of outrage from fans and former players on social media, directed mainly at the players who reportedly expressed their discontent with conditions in the camp and at Netball NZ for failing to resolve the issue in a timely fashion.

"There is no-one, whether that be athletes, whether that be Dame Noeline, Netball New Zealand, our netball public that deserves any vitriol," Wyllie said. "Everyone is a human at the end of the day.

"What we need to do is be respectful of everyone in the process and maintain that at all times."

Yvette McCausland-Durie, who oversaw last month's Taini Jamison series victory over South Africa, will remain as interim coach for the Constellation Cup and northern tour, supported by Liana Leota as assistant coach.

Wyllie said they had to lock in a coach, with a series against Australia starting on 17 October.

"We don't want this process to drag on, but we do have the players about to assemble for camp for the Constellation Cup and, alongside that, we've been working through these issues at the same time," she said.

Silver Ferns legends Tracey Fear and Wai Taumaunu will also continue to share an interim high performance support role over the next two tours, but where to next for Taurua's future as Silver Ferns coach?

"We've been working really hard collectively to reach a resolution and right up until the time that we've made this announcement," Wyllie said. "It's been important to explore all avenues, but unfortunately we just simply were not able to do that at this time.

"We are in a process with Noeline and we will continue to work in good faith for that process."

Dame Noeline has since issued her own statement, indicating how far apart the two sides stand.

"I care deeply about the Silver Ferns and want to be back coaching the team," she said.

"I have seen the media statement issued by Netball NZ setting out their views. My views are different."

How did we get here?

Following a January training camp in Sydney, two players approached the players' association on behalf of a wider group of up to seven players. The players alleged the environment had become "psychologically unsafe", describing a culture in which some felt fearful of raising issues directly with the head coach.

It is understood issues have been festering away since the 2023 World Cup, where the Ferns slumped to fourth place.

In the aftermath of the campaign, Taurua was re-appointed to the head coach role, following a contested process.

Some Silver Ferns have not made themselves available for selection since the World Cup. While there is no suggestion these players are among the complainants, the number of players that have chosen to step away from the Ferns is concerning for the national body, given the chronic lack of depth in New Zealand netball.

Wyllie would not say if any players had refused to play under Taurua, citing "confidentiality".

In July, former NZ Cricket high performance boss Bryan Stronach was commissioned to investigate the players' concerns and recommend how the culture could be improved.

According to one source who has read the report, Stronach highlighted "significant issues" in the Silver Ferns environment.

Taurua, and assistants Deb Fuller and Briony Akle were said to have been "furious" with the findings, and have engaged lawyers to contest the review and the process.

It is understood only the players who had flagged concerns were spoken to, while Fuller and Akle also were not interviewed, raising questions of natural justice.

According to a source familiar with the process, it was never intended to be a formal investigation, but an attempt to facilitate a conversation about how the environment could be more open and collaborative.

However, the final report was entitled 'Silver Ferns environment review', leading to further confusion.

No-one deserves any 'vitriol'

The current players have come under stinging criticism for a perceived unwillingness to step forward and put their name to their grievances.

Social media has been awash with comments hammering players who complained about the popular coach.

Wyllie said it was important that no-one was subject to that kind of treatment.

The public backlash directed towards the athletes has divided the playing group, with cracks appearing in the team, after the recent Taini Jamison series against South Africa.

Following the Ferns' last-gasp victory over the Proteas in the final test, securing New Zealand a 3-0 clean sweep, star goal shoot Grace Nweke used the oncourt presentation to issue a plea for Taurua's return.

Wyllie denied suggestions that a memo went out to players, asking them not to speak out on the issue following Nweke's actions, but said it was addressed.

"It's a really challenging time for them all to navigate," she said. "We are not in a place where we would disclose any internal comms, but I can assure you that wasn't the case.

"We obviously discussed it, because this is a team that - first and foremost - needs to stay united and perform, and I think that all of those kind of matters are dealt with internally."

Netball NZ hamstrung

Wellington employment lawyer Andrew Scott-Howman, who has decades of experience in leading workplace investigations and mediating sports disputes, said Netball NZ was hamstrung by the employment process, adding confidentiality was necessary to protect the integrity of the process.

"If it's going to be a public football and people are going to have an opinion about you, you're less likely to want to come forward - especially if that results in you being abused in public forums like talkback radio," Scott-Howman said.

"The second reason is, out of respect for the dignity of the person alleged of wrongdoing, you're only alleged - you haven't been found guilty.

"Whilst [the silence] is frustrating and while I've read people in the public saying, 'We've got a right to know', actually you don't. You don't have a right to know.

"When it's all over, you may have an interest in knowing, but right now, the only people with a right to know are the ones that are involved in it and the person investigating."

How much obligation is on Netball NZ to take player concerns seriously?

"There's been really intense interest around this situation," Wyllie said. "Our responsibility is to Dame Noeline and the players, and we are focussed on working through those and resolving it to ensure that, as we move forward, we're able to reconcile some of those concerns that we had for the environment."

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.