Netball Australia CEO Kate Palmer said that she "does not regret her organisation agreeing to a two-country" Australia-New Zealand Championship conference system, though she admitted it "means a worthy Australian team could be frozen out of the finals," according to David Sygall of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. Palmer conceded that the new format "would benefit New Zealand netball more than Australia." However, she said that the new structure was "necessary because it 'meets the needs of the broadcasters in both countries.'" Palmer: "The ANZ Championship board put the proposal forward that, to improve the product and meet the needs of the broadcasters, we needed to put something in place that created more interest on both sides of the ditch around finals time." Concerns are "growing because of the comparative weakness" of the Kiwi sides, highlighted by results last round in which all five matches featured trans-Tasman contests and Australian teams won each. Former Netball player Liz Ellis said that a positive from the system was that it "addressed the concerns of New Zealand broadcasters 'who pay good money to show the sport.'" However, she concluded, it "allowed Kiwi players, except those in the Silver Ferns program, to hide behind sub-standard fitness levels" (SMH, 4/23).
