The 14th Netball World Cup starts in Sydney in just 41 days. With the Australian Diamonds naming a formidable squad earlier this week, there appears to be little chance of the Silver Ferns closing the gap between the sides. Netball writer Robert van Royen takes a sneak peak at what lies ahead for the Silver Ferns.
Pool play
The Silver Ferns are in pool A with Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Barbados.
With only the top two teams in each pool having a chance of making the semifinals, New Zealand and Australia are obviously the favourites to advance.
The Silver Ferns play Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago on days one and two, before likely playing Australia for the top spot in the pool on day three.
How will they fare?
While Silver Ferns coach Waimarama Taumaunu is yet to follow Australia's lead and name her squad for the tournament, it is unlikely to contain many surprises.
Fresh from the Australian teams dominating their New Zealand counterparts in the ANZ Championship, it is hard to imagine the Silver Ferns being good enough to beat, or even come within a few goals of, the Diamonds.
It is also far from a given that the Silver Ferns will topple the ever-dangerous Jamaicans and an England team on the rise.
However, it is still hard to predict anything other than the Silver Ferns getting through to the final, only to finish runner-up to Australia, again.
Must step up
Maria Tutaia missed test series against Australia and England last year with a foot injury, leaving the Silver Ferns to experiment with Bailey Mes and Ameliaranne Wells at goal attack.
Mes struggled and Wells showed glimpses of promise, but there is no doubt it will be good to have Tutaia back.
She puts up more shots than most goal attacks, and shot 345 from 434 attempts (79.5%) for the Mystics in the recent ANZ Championship season.
Captain Casey Kopua is undoubtedly one of the best defenders in the game when she is 100% fit.
However, questions remain whether her knee will handle the heavy workload at the World Cup.
Kopua dislocated her knee cap against Australia last October, and only played in the Magic's final few games this season.
If Kopua can get even close to her best, the Silver Ferns will be a different team.
Centre Laura Langman was far from her best for the national side last year.
Her lack of form resulted in some calling for her to move to wing defence, which could open the door for Southern Steel centre Shannon Francois to wear the centre bib.
Langman did have a solid ANZ Championship campaign, but she needs to lift her game come August.
Biggest threats
Australia really needs no introducing.
The Diamonds have won or shared the title in 10 of the past 13 tournaments, and are gunning for their third straight title.
Led by Caitlin Bassett and Laura Geitz, the squad is full of all the big guns you would expect.
England has only made the final once (1975), and has finished third or fourth in every other tournament, including four years ago in Singapore.
However, with players such as Geva Mentor, Jo Harten, Eboni Beckford-Chambers, Serena Guthrie and Ama Agbeze sure to be in the mix, this will be a dangerous team.
Jamaica is always a crowd favourite.
While the Sunshine Girls have never finished higher than third place, they always thrill with their speed and flair.
Pitted in pool B with England, Samoa and Scotland, Jamaica should finish in the all-important top two.
Its second pool match against England should be a cracker.
