9 Jun 2014

Sport: Outgoing Pearls' coach praises team

1:15 pm on 9 June 2014

The outgoing Fiji netball coach Julie Hoornweg has praised her team for adapting to a new style and delivering when it counts.

The Pearls sealed a fifth consecutive Pacific Series title at the weekend, finishing unbeaten with two wins each against Samoa, Papua New Guinea and the Cook Islands.

Hoornweg took the job in April on a short-term basis and leaves having achieved her primary goal of securing qualification for next year's World Cup in Sydney.

She says the players embraced a different approach under her coaching and have developed as players, a team and as women over the past couple of months.

But with the World Cup only a year away she says it's no time to take the foot off the pedal.

"Before I came in - what a month ago - there had been little work done with the team so if they're really serious about doing well at the worlds next year they must continue this momentum now and not let it all fall away because you just cannot pick up that late before it, because it's such a short preparation, and expect to play the very best that you can".

Samoa will join Fiji at the World Cup, having finished second in the Pacific Series with four wins from six matches.