Constellation Cup game 3: Latest News And Results As The Diamonds Tackle The Silver Ferns

The Australian Diamonds will play their third game of the Constellation Cup in New Zealand on Thursday, hoping to break a losing streak, and Cath Cox has identified a key opponent.

Cath Cox, a former member of the Diamonds and current analyst for Fox Netball, thinks Australia can beat the Silver Ferns 3-0 even without starting shooter Grace Nweke.

Nweke, who missed July's World Cup in South Africa due to a knee injury, returned there over the weekend. In Brisbane's 55-46 loss to the Diamonds, she saw action in two quarters.

Even though the 21-year-old's statistics were fairly identical to those of her replacement, teen goalie Amelia Walmsley, New Zealand drew both quarters in which she played, the second and fourth.

The distinction lies in the level of confidence that the 193-centimeter shooter exudes to everyone around her.

The Ferns' midcourters were able to deliver the ball with more confidence and speed with Nweke in the circle, the Diamonds' defenders were on high alert, and New Zealand skipper Ameliaranne Ekenasio could focus on getting into the circle herself to keep the score ticking over.

Regarding Nweke's comeback from a knee ligament injury, Cox stated, "Statistically, she didn't (make a big difference when she came on),"

"But what she does is just give the rest of the team that massive amount of confidence that maybe they are missing with someone like a Walmsley on. That's what she does,"

"They did draw the two quarters that she was on, and those quarters were their best quarters, so you can't ignore that."

It was not anticipated that Nweke would play at all during the Australian portion of the trip, so her participation in Brisbane was a pleasant surprise, even though it occurred in a way that was on-again, off-again throughout the second and fourth periods.

Whether or not the Diamonds can improve on their winless record in New Zealand under coach Stacey Marinkovich depends on how much she plays in Thursday night's game in Invercargill.

Cox remarked, "If it were me, and I knew she only had half a game in her, I might be tempted to leave her until the second half, when the pressure is on."

You don't want to fall too far behind countries like Australia, but you also don't want to be too far ahead of them, either.

It's a tough call, but I think they need to give her more time if they want to win the game. I'm not sure if she's at that point in her development yet.

As a result of Steph Wood's retirement, the Diamonds have maintained a very strong line-up throughout the first two Tests, particularly in the shooting circle. Cara Koenen and Kiera Austin have seen the most of playing time since Steph Wood stepped away from the sport.

In the entire series, World Cup final hero Sophie Garbin has only played for a total of three minutes, whilst young goal attack Sophie Dwyer got on in the last minutes of Sunday night's game in Brisbane.

You can count on that to shift if the Diamonds maintain a comfortable lead on Thursday night.

After the conclusion of the Constellation Cup, Australia will turn to the future to determine its next best shooting combination, and Austin will not be included in this search.

In the event that this does not occur earlier, it is anticipated that Garbin and Dwyer would accumulate significant playing time.

According to Cox, the position of goal attack is one in which Australia does not have a lot of depth.

"I think there is a real lack of goal attacks for Australia," she added. "I think there is a real lack of goal attacks." "If you take a look at all of the teams competing in the Super Netball tournament, that's the position I think everyone's really struggling to fill."

They're going to miss one of the smartest players in the game who ever lived, and that person is Stephanie Wood.

For the Giants, Sophie Dwyer is a phenomenal goal attacker. There are opportunities, and it's worth giving her a go, especially with the South Africa series coming up, because I don't know if she's ready for Australia yet because she's still so young.

As a potential replacement, "I think that will be a really good one to get some new blood out there and give them some solid minutes."