Dame Noeline Taurua has acknowledged the fallout from being stood down as Silver Ferns coach has taken a toll on her relationship with Netball New Zealand chief executive Jennie Wyllie.
Dame Noeline was recently reinstated as head coach for next year after being suspended following complaints from a player or group of players which led to an investigation and controversial suspension by Netball New Zealand.
The complaints – after a training camp in Sydney in January – have never been revealed, and Dame Noeline told 1News today that she still doesn’t know the details.
In an interview today following an apparent resolution to a saga which has gripped the sport and the nation for seven weeks, Dame Noeline, who this morning described the ordeal as "horrific", was asked about her relationship with Wyllie, who has been in her role since 2016.
"I feel like we’ve got a good relationship," Dame Noeline replied. "We’ve been the best of buddies for a very long time.
"I’m confident about what I can do and what I’m prepared to do. I have an end goal. I’ll be professional, I’ll be respectful and people are really important so we have to work together."
Pressed on whether her suspension took a toll on their relationship, she replied: "Yes it did, very much so. It wasn’t pleasant. I heard a lot of things while I wasn’t able to speak. Once again, I’ve got through those challenges and I’m back. I will move forward and do it in a professional manner."
Speaking to Breakfast, the newly re-instated Silver Ferns coach said her family kept her going through the "isolating time". (Source: Breakfast)
Wyllie recently said in an interview with 1News that she acknowledged it would take time to rebuild trust between the pair.
Dame Noeline will take charge again for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow which starts next July.
In the meantime, the Silver Ferns, under interim head coach Yvette McCausland-Durie, will this month travel on a northern tour for two fixtures against Scotland and three against England.
Dame Noeline, who said she had several job offers while suspended, said she would definitely be in charge for the Commonwealth Games. She said she was hopeful that the Silver Ferns could play warm-up matches beforehand.
Asked whether she had been told what the issues that led to her suspension were, Dame Noeline replied: "No specifics, and that’s probably the hardest thing to navigate as to why. And that probably added to the angst about what I’ve felt over the last seven weeks."
She added that winning was paramount in a high-performance environment, as was "upholding the mana of the Silver Ferns and the black dress".
Dame Noeline said there were various "safeguards" in the Silver Ferns environment under her leadership and that listening to the players’ feedback was important to her.
"I made major adjustments around making sure there was more player voice and that’s what I needed to hear to make sure I wasn’t listening to just one group. I incorporated players into the strategic group… I listened to the players and monthly leadership meetings.
"Every time I receive feedback I adjust or keep the programme stable. I work with a lot of other people… unfortunately I didn’t have the opportunity to deliver or execute on the things I’d adjusted on coming out of last year."
She added: "I’m really confident with the relationship I have with the players."
Dame Noeline said she could not watch the recent Taini Jamison series victory over South Africa.
"I didn’t watch it. It was just too raw for me. I couldn’t bring myself to watch it on TV. Otherwise, I’d be bawling my eyes out."
She did watch the third and fourth Tests of the Constellation Cup defeat to Australia, however, and, while she did not contact players directly, "players do make contact with me and I’ve been very heartened and warmed by the players that have".
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