Janine Southby's future as Silver Ferns coach could come down to how deep Netball New Zealand's pockets are.
Under Southby's reign, the Ferns failed to make the finals at the Commonwealth Games for the first time ever, conceding a loss to minnows Malawi, en route to a fourth-place finish.
The Commonwealth Games capitulation prompted Netball NZ to conduct an independent review led by well-known sports lawyer Don Mackinnon. The three-person team also included Team New Zealand's Kevin Shoebridge and former Fern Linda Vagana.
The panel was tasked with speaking to everyone involved in the Gold Coast campaign, including current and former players, coaches and management. It was also instructed to examine netball in a broader sense, in particular its high performance pathways.
Newshub understands the governing body received feedback from the review panel a fortnight ago, with a draft report that includes several votes of no-confidence for Southby, as well as suggestions she should never have been appointed to the role in 2015.
But cutting ties with Southby could come at a significant cost.
She's contracted until after the 2019 World Cup and it's understood that Netball NZ would have to pay out a sizeable sum in order to prematurely release her.
The organisation confirmed that the panel's findings would be formally released in mid-July.
"We do not have the final report and therefore will not be commenting on any speculation," Netball NZ said in a statement.
"We respect the privacy of all participants involved in the ongoing review, which is a robust and thorough process."
Newshub.
