Stars bolster depth of talent for 2026 season

 

Heading into her second year at the helm, top of the wish list for Go Media Stars coach Temepara Bailey is an injury-free 2026 ANZ Premiership campaign.

The injury curse struck early for the Stars last season and into a situation from which they never recovered while having to use multiple players across the season to shore up the gaps.

"Keeping our players fit and health is a real priority,’’ Bailey said. ``We’ve got two players coming back – Kate Burley (defender) and Greer Sinclair (midcourter) – from serious injury last season, with the return to play protocols in place but that’s all tracking really well.’’

Retaining the well-performed quintet of captain Mila Reuelu-Buchanan (midcourt), Samon Nathan (midcourt), Lili Tokaduadua (defender) alongside Burley and Sinclair, the Stars have added some big-name signings in the off-season to enhance their firepower.

The major talking point is the signing of rising young Silver Ferns shooting duo Amelia Walmsley and Martina Salmon while former Silver Ferns midcourter Claire O’Brien is another to join a line-up that offers a real depth of talent.

Shooter Crystal Maro and promising NSW in-circle defender Aimee Landrigan complete a potent Stars line-up.

"We’re very lucky to have these new players coming in, we’ve got a bit of experience in there as well and I’m really happy to retain a solid core from last season,’’ Bailey said. "It’s a good mix and it looks good on paper but the challenge now is making sure that they connect and put out a good product on-court.

"The shooting end is a cool story. It’s a full circle moment for Amelia who started at the Comets, went away (Pulse), and is now back at the Stars, Martina is originally from South Auckland, so in a way, she’s also coming home and I’m very glad they came home to the Stars.

"And Crystal has been part of the Comets for a wee while. It’s exciting and there’s some learnings for all, particularly in the goal attack area but they’re learning together as we go.’’

After several years of strong performances for the Comets, Maro has earned her spot and has previous experience in the top echelon as an injury replacement player for the Pulse.

"She’s a totally different type of player to the other two, so it will be cool to see what we can do with those differences out on court. The make-up of our shooting trio adds real variety at that end,’’ Bailey said.

With the departure of several of New Zealand’s frontline players to the Australian league, Bailey is welcoming the opportunity of a new-look competition and playing personnel.

"I’m really excited about the potential of unearthing some new talent coming through,’’ she said. ``It was sad to see those established players go but this is a great opportunity for other players to have the chance to firstly be in an ANZ team and then potentially be a starter and go on to have consistent netball week-in week-out. We could definitely unearth some young New Zealand talent and that’s what we need to ensure our netball is strong going forward.

"It will definitely be competitive. Everyone wants to go out there and perform well and at the end of the day, win, so how that all pans out is going to be exciting. Apart from possibly the Mystics, there’s an element of the unknown so I’m just excited to come up against them all and see what happens.’’

With the two-round format denying the luxury of catch-up time, Bailey’s big goal is for a strong start to the season and to continually build through