Trials for 2016 Silver Ferns begin

(Getty)
(Getty)

Twenty-six of the country's best netballers are being put through their paces by new Silver Ferns coach Janine Southby this week, as they trial for a spot in next year's Silver Ferns quad.

With familiar faces absent and Southby now at the helm, the Silver Ferns new era is well and truly underway.

"I think when you come into an environment where it is under quite a lot of change you have to come in with an open mind, and sometimes when you are so used to a routine it's a challenge," says Laura Langman.

But change is clearly something they will have to adapt to and Southby is clear cut on what she's wanting.

"We're looking for players who can compete consistently on court and that's not just for the 60 minutes, we've got to be world leaders, we can't be chasing all the time," says Southby. "There's a lot of work to do in that space. And we're also looking for players who bring and buy into the culture on and off court."

It's a culture that the seniors leaders in the group have helped build, but the pressure is on them more than ever to not rest on their laurels in a time of change.

"You don't actually know where you stand because she is a new coach, although she has talked to us individually and given us a clean slate and see how things go," Katrina Grant says.

For others like Storm Pervis, it's a chance to really impress.

With Casey Kopua pregnant there's certainly an opportunity for other defenders to try fill the formidable star's shoes. 

"I think there's definitely an opening in the defensive end [so] it's definitely extra motivation for me," Pervis says. "But at the same time there are some amazing young defenders in this country and we're all gunning for one or two spots. [There's] extra motivation but it's still a really tough race."

The national selectors will name both the Silver Ferns squad and the national development squad tomorrow, but the Fern's first international match won't be until August next year after a January tri-series against Fiji fell through.

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