Super Netball 2026: West Coast Fever begin talks to re-sign premiership coach Dan Ryan beyond this season

West Coast Fever have begun talks to extend premiership coach Dan Ryan beyond this season as he prepares for his most challenging year yet. The West Australian can reveal Fever are keen to lock away Ryan, who has an incredible 73 per cent winning record (47 victories from 64 games) from four seasons in charge. Fever have not missed finals since Ryan took over from club great Stacey Marinkovich at the end of 2021 after the former was appointed Australian coach. He signed a three-year extension in 2023, which expires at the end of this season. Ryan has led Fever to two grand finals (2022 and 2025), two preliminary finals, as well as a league-record 13-game winning streak last year before they were on the wrong end of an upset in the decider to arch-rivals Melbourne Vixens by a goal. The former Adelaide Thunderbirds coach faces his toughest season since he took the reins, with six-time Super Netball player-of-the-year Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard sidelined for the entire campaign because of her pregnancy. They are also dealing with an unprecedented injury toll ahead of their season opener against Sunshine Coast Lighting at RAC Arena on Sunday. Diamonds defender Sunday Aryang will miss all of 2026 with a ruptured ACL, while her younger sister Ruth is still coming back from a serious Achilles injury she sustained last year. Rising stars Olivia Wilkinson (ankle) and Zoe Cransberg (foot) are also unavailable for the early rounds, with one-game defender Caitlyn Brown, veteran midcourter Verity Simmons and uncapped shooter Sloan Burton all called into the squad as cover. Fever general manager Sara Francis-Bayman said Fever wanted to lock away Ryan to ensure stability as they look to also build a roster for next year, with every player in the league off contract because the collective player agreement expires at the end of the season. “Conversations have started around that. We’re really comfortable and confident with what Dan does. It’s not going to rest on the outcome of this season. We expect Dan to be here next year, and we’ll work towards making that happen,” she said. “It’s a big year for everyone, all the players are off contract as well, so we do want to get someone like Dan signed up and done as early as we can. “There’s also a huge amount of uncertainty around CPA and what the league looks like next year, so it’s a difficult period, but we’re definitely happy with everything Dan has contributed to the club and continues to do so.” Ryan told The West Australian he wanted to remain at Fever for the long-term. “I’ve loved my time at West Coast Fever. I am thriving here as a professional and as a person,” he said. “My hope is to continue for many more years. I love the club, I love the team and who I get to work with every day. I’m very grateful to be a part of it.” Fever have added plenty of experience around Ryan this year, with former Diamonds defender Sharni Layton and former captain Ash Brazill as assistants alongside former general manager Sue Gaudion who has stayed on as a specialist coach.