Breaking a Super Netball taboo: Let's talk about the umpires

Players and umpires aren't always going to see eye-to-eye, but as the penalty count grows in the Super Netball league, so does the frustration from the playing cohort. (Getty: Mark Kolbe)

Last weekend's Super Netball semi-finals saw the Collingwood Magpies bow out of the title race, the West Coast Fever make it through to the grand final, and the Melbourne Vixens and Giants set up a must-win preliminary final clash.

But the biggest talking point wasn't the players' skills, or the likelihood of each of the remaining three team's chances of lifting the trophy. Instead, it was all about the largely unspoken part of the game — the umpires.