Taking things to the brink - Adelaide Thunderbirds v Pulse

Last night's Pulse v Adelaide Thunderbirds game took things to the very brink, and not just the scoreline 45-44 victory to the Thunderbirds.

The game was fast, physical and thrilling despite brilliant defence from both sides. Pulse newcomer Elias Shadrock coped amazingly well with the speed and physicality of the game. Less fortunate was Irene van Dyk whose opposition in Rebecca Bulley and Kate Shimmin rode, bumped and restricted her and Donna Wilkins. It was not a case of a holding goal shoot but holding defenders keeping shooters at bay. Although penalised sometimes, Shimmin continued to cannon into van Dyk and took her body space. Shimmin's intercepts though were stunning and skilful.

Renee Hallinan, Leigh Waddington and Andrea Gilmore for the Thunderbirds' centre court were deft and fast, and the mighty Carla Borrego a real scoring machine capably assisted by Erin Bell.

The Pulse's Katrina Grant and Te Huinga Selby-Rickit achieved some clever intercepts, especially considering the difficulties of covering a really tall holding shooter like Borrego, and Bell who has the ability to shoot from distance. Wilkins and Jolene Henry fronted up to the aggression meted out and gave as good as they got, and Camilla Lees tentative at first, was a capable wing attack. Surprisingly experienced Pulse players started out with early unforced errors, when they could have consolidated leads. Van Dyk was unlucky that her goal in the last 70 seconds was not counted as the timing seemed marginal, but more precision and certainty on attack is something the Pulse must work on.

The Pulse'e early tactic of having van Dyk out of the circle and Wilkins within, worked well at first in keeping the Thunderbirds guessing (along probably with many of the crowd at Te Rauparaha).

The Pulse has come a long way, but they need to prove their mettle to themselves as much as anyone.

But did this game represent another step towards a holding, blocking game. Is that the way netball's going?

Pulse bring victory down to 20 second 'wire'

Last night's close victory to the Central Haier Pulse against the West Coast Fever came as an exciting relief to very partisan fans in the TSB Arena. Pulse had just lost their ball at the goal circle. Fever were due their centre pass and the score 53-52.  Fever had about 20 seconds in which to score - quite achievable for such a classy team. The whistle went and suddenly 'Hu' - Te Huinga Selby-Rickit - whisked away the ball from the Fever centre pass. The crowd were roaring, and the Pulse very carefully (although nearly not precisely enough) passed the ball around, before a sudden bullet pass to shooter Caitlin Thwaites. By then it was too late for the Pulse shooters, the Fever or anyone else. The very close-fought game was over and the Pulse victors by one shot, and freed from the bogey of "extra time".

The Pulse began erratically. At times they showed commendable skill in careful and dexterous passing; at other times they just squandered the ball. No one player was responsible; it was a joint effort. However, in saying this, it is also important to recognise the achievements of the Fever. They have wonderful centre court ball carriers in people like Shae Bolton, Ashleigh Brazill and Verity Simmons. The first two in the early stages were having issues with the different style of New Zealand umpiring, and a high penalty count mounted. Also Eboni Beckford Chambers and Josie Janz (before she left court)  in defence made scoring difficult, while the effective shooting team of Caitlin Bassett (31/32)and Catherine Cox (18/20) defied strong Pulse defence to keep scoring. Kate Beveridge scored 3/3.

Apparently Robyn Broughton gave her team a pep talk at half time, and the Pulse improved. Goal attack Donna Wilkins had a superb game shooting 25 from 25, and provided a much needed inroad to the circle for shooter Caitlin Thwaites (28/33). When Wilkins couldn't pass, she turned and shot - a perfect shot every time. Wow!  Liana Liota did deft pin-point passing into the circle, while Camilla Lees improved after a ragged start to feed effectively. Circle feeding defenders such as Lees and Bolton for the Fever, have to watch over-zealous defence doesn't result in shooters being advanced to take the shot. Katrina Grant retrieved some excellent ball for her team. However, turnovers didn't always result in conversions, to everyone's frustration. Pulse must improve on this.

The second half was much better for the Pulse. For a time they soared ahead. However, with wily Fever opponents, goal advantage can disappear like lightning. Errors and infringements can cost dearly, even when you're not entirely sure what these are for. In one case I opted to postpone judgment until I got home and saw the Sky feed, but the "infringement" still remained unfathomable to me. However, refereeing such a fast game, with a very partisan, noisy crowd; along with player comments do not make the referees' job an easy one. One end with a male referee seemed to heavily penalise defensive players of both teams; the other female referee also upheld the rights of attackers to a smooth shot, but with less whistle. The referees' experience must have been torrid, as they looked grim afterwards. But they were an important part of a very enjoyable (though nerve-wracking) game.

Pulse victory (63-48) fast, high-scoring game.

Last night's game by Haier Pulse against the Mystics was fast and edgy, showing excellent defensive depth within the circle by both sides. At the beginning, the Mystics' Julie Corletto and Jess Moulds made in-circle feeding into a tortuous and skilful affair. The Pulse had to bend, dodge, feint and whisk the ball through  to secure possession and goal-score. Hamish Bidwell in this morning's DomPost indicated that the Pulse were 'barely tested' by the Mystics. Because of the awesome defence played by both sides in the goal circle, including Katrina Grant and Te Huinga Selby-Rickit for the Pulse, I cannot say I agree with this view.

Bidwell cited Joline Henry as not feeling the pressure of "the whole thing" for the match duration. Perhaps this was because there was ball squandered on the mid-court by both sides. It remained a pressure situation, but perhaps it is pressure that brings on 'brain fades'. All players on court were susceptible to this, with even the most experienced taking optimistic punts that didn't come off. However, the Pulse's Liana Leota played a sparkling game apart from the odd error.

There was a lot of physicality on court and some of it unnecessary. Perhaps it was a measure of the frustration felt by the Mystics, when a couple of young players seemed to focus inordinately on contacts including involvement of the face and head of the opposition. Penalties inevitably followed. They need to concentrate on better co-ordination and dexterity.

Cathrine Latu was introduced to goal shoot in the second half, and for a short time the Mystics improved. That was until Grant and Selby-Rickit got her measure, along with a whole-team defensive effort in the centre court. You could see the Pulse were making the passage of ball down court really difficult for the Mystics. Perhaps it has become second nature for the Pulse to impose stranglehold defence. As an audience member it was a pressure-filled and thrilling game particularly in and around the circle, but also on the occasion when a rock-solid defence effort by the Mystics was overcome through 'bolts' straight through to waiting shooters. Mystics' shooters Bailey Mes in the first half and Latu in the second were also ready to receive such bolts until Pulse defence tightened up. Kayla Cullen and Grace Rasmussen had some talented passages of play. Tutaia's capability to score goals from distance is a real strength, but her team failed to gel.

So Pulse you did well. You can do better yet, but last night was very promising indeed. Taking the lead at every quarter is an excellent way of asserting your determination. Cherish the ball, and defend to the hilt as you did last night! Thanks for the great game.

The unsung heroes who didn't play - Paula Griffin, Amber Bellringer, Victoria Smith, Claire Kersten and Daya Wiiffen - also seemed match-fit if prior-match  practices were anything to go by. Griffin's goaling accuracy pre-match was impressive.

Pulse - and Mystics - starving themselves by reducing goal attempts

The Pulse were defeated soundly in last night's game, scoring 30 goals to the Vixens' 52. Their particular Achilles heel was the very low proportion of attempts at goal (40 to the Vixens' 68), and Pulse shooters' reluctance to have a go. There were a few warning signs from the week before when Caitlin Thwaites who played a great game then, nevertheless dithered on the shot a couple of times. But it wasn't just Thwaites; I think Donna Wilkins managed to get only one goal in the third quarter. Vixens' defenders Bianca Chatfield and Geva Mentor reduced the flow of ball into the very tight circle. In the end it was Thwaites who was benched rather than Wilkins, but by then there were only about nine minutes to go.

Paula Griffin came on at that point, and managed to shoot four from six attempts at 66%. Griffin was unable to take her first shot; a commentator blaming this on a foot over the line, while I thought "Step" was uttered. Either way, Griffin came on impressively in a game already lost, seemingly coping competently with the tight Vixens' marking. According to Hamish Bidwell from Stuff, coach Robyn Broughton is reluctant to use players from her bench unless things get really desperate. If this is the case, it's a bit hard perhaps not just on the bench, but on those players who need time off to regain composure, and for the suffering scoreline.  The ANZ competition also provides players with a chance to improve and show off their developing skills. Victoria Smith and Daya Wiffen have produced some great defensive play recently in their own right. When the attack failed to fire beyond seven shots a quarter, surely replacing either of the shooting duo would have reignited things at half-time. Donna Wilkins seemed to stress out at some umpiring decisions. Griffin is a former Silver Fern who has never been utilised as much as she should be. At her best she is very good. 

Pulse captain Katrina Grant in particular, along with Te Huinga Selby-Rickit had a tremendous defensive game despite stiff opposition from Tegan Caldwell, Karen Howarth (during the first half) and then Sharelle McMahon. If not for Grant and Selby-Rickit, the score would have ballooned. Liana Leota seemed to pick up more penalties than I thought she deserved, and it is the calls that bewilder that really underline morale. Leota is just such a fantastically versatile and athletic player. However, the game's over and the Vixens performed superbly. The umpiring at opposite ends seemed a bit uneven, and New Zealand clocks' three seconds don't seem to tally with Aussie ones. This is something all Kiwi teams need to watch out for.

Another timely warning would be when teams curb their chances at victory by minimising their goal attempts. This is something both Mystics and Pulse did yesterday. The Mystics' Cathrine Latu is accurate but is simply not putting up enough shots at goal. Last night's game between the Mystics and Canterbury Tactix won by the latter at 61-57 saw Latu going to a lot of effort to shoot from close in. It's a good thing it wasn't a trans-Tasman match, or the penalty count would probably have climbed even higher. At the other end, one can only say "WOW" to the impressive shooting duo of Joanne Harten and Sophia Fenwick. Anna Thompson and Jade Clarke in the centre court and Jane Watson on defence also performed slickly. The difference between the Tactix and the Mystics was that the Tactix worked fluidly as a team. While there are outstanding players in the Mystics, they didn't always seem to follow through on the calm advice given by their coach. However, it was good to see Kayla Cullen resuming a more overt defensive role. Elisapeta Toeava and Jess Moulds also played well, and Bailey Mes came on to shoot convincingly in the last part of the game.

Pulse score one-goal victory over Magic

Tonight's closely fought 53-52 battle between Wellington's Haier Pulse and Kia Magic in the ANZ netball competition showed the Pulse have the precision and ball skills to play very fine netball when it counts.

Like the earlier fixture between the Adelaide Thunderbirds and Queensland Firebirds in Queensland, Australia, just one goal separated the teams at the final whistle. At times during the first half it seemed as though the Pulse effort was flagging. But with plenty of determination - not to mention a noisy crowd willing them on - they managed to be within a goal of the Magic at half time.

The Pulse's Camilla Lees played a blinder at centre, confident in getting and passing ball for her side. Liana Leota is always a vital connection for the Pulse, reigniting and reapproaching when the ball gets bogged down. She runs twice as far as many players around her, and has a remarkable jump and gift at strategic ball placement. At goal, Caitlin Thwaites was also impressive, although on a couple of occasions she hesitated to take the shot. With capable Magic defenders like Leana de Bruin and Casey Kopua ready to pounce (and sometimes push),  this was perhaps understandable. However, Thwaites and Donna Wilkins provide formidable shooting quality in the circle, against a very physical opposition. Well done! Katrina Grant at the other end, and Te Huinga Selby-Rickit were the end defensive effort of a concerted team defence. As Joline Henry was absent the role of wing defence was taken capably by Victoria Smith in the first half, and Daya Wiffen in the second.  Their work helped to cement a very creditable team effort by the Pulse. While the match was not error-free, it was a considerable improvement on the previous week's. It was a deserved win for the Pulse, and the loyal Pulse fans around me loved it!

For the Magic, Ellen Halpenny improves every week, and is unafraid to take shots at goal from far out. When it was too difficult to get the ball into Irene van Dyk this occurred frequently. Halpenny is a blooming talent in the Magic side. Both sides played great netball up and down the court, but the best team won on the day. Go the Pulse!

Unfathomable umpiring call a concern in ANZ competition

If ever there was justification for a fresh look at umpiring, last night's call against the Pulse's Katrina Grant was that justification.

True, the Pulse had plenty of opportunities to win the game earlier, and made too many unforced errors all through court. But shooters Caitlin Thwaites and Donna Wilkins scored well, with adept feeding by Liana Leota. Te Huinga Selby-Rickit and Grant defended with flair. Unless the TV feed lied in the last seconds of the 4th quarter, Katrina Grant took a clean intercept. Cathrine Latu then (it seemed unnecessarily) bumped into Grant, and next the umpire(s?) penalised Grant for pushing Latu in the back. I have watched the game tape over and over. If anyone should have been penalised , it seems Latu should have been.  But by then the game would've been over; a narrow squeak victory to the Pulse. Instead the game went into extra time.

The Mystics went on to win 69-68. At least the game was positive for them. Gifted defender Kayla Cullen, has usually been given the centre role when she's a natural defence player. The last part of last night's game saw her relocated to wing defence, with Elisapeta Toeava at wing attack and Grace Rasmussen at centre. Maria Tutaia's facility to shoot from distance was also handy, while defence work by Julie Corletto throughout the game, and Jess Moulds in the latter part cemented a good Mystics effort. This combination performed substantially better than we've seen so far this season. Perhaps we might even get to see Bailey Mes sometime.

I think there'd be a bad taste in the mouth though for those who saw the televised link, or were close enough to see what occurred. Perhaps netball should do what high-level hockey has done and institute a system whereby cameras are reviewed for contentious decisions. It was obvious that Grant was trying to put her case briefly to the umpire. Umpiring is a difficult job, but the netballers and their fans deserve an explanation of some kind, especially since players themselves are not allowed to comment. There has to be some kind of appeal system in a situation like this.

Pulse snatch victory from formidable Steel

Last night's match between Pulse and Steel was a close-fought battle resulting in Pulse's victory by three goals (59-56). The Steel played with effective connections and teamwork, feeding the ball efficiently to their shooter Jhaniele Fowler, who at 1.98 metres tall proved an excellent target. The Pulse, however, seemed to lose connections and teamwork displayed in previous matches in their first half.

At the break, and into the second half, the score continued to rise for Steel, who displayed excellent defence and composure. The Pulse insertion of Joline Henry into the game initially failed to impede the rate of Steel goals scored. However, the Pulse did settle after a timely time out, and with Henry's court presence seemed to gain confidence, and find good connections with each other. Henry is very competent, but the Pulse must retain confidence in each and every player on court. They were playing as individuals, and failing to treasure ball and opportunities provided by their defence. Throwing 'bombs' and hoping is not sound technique. There didn't seem to be the same team belief in each other that the last games have reflected.  A Pulse supporter sitting alongside me who desperately wanted a Pulse  win, reached a stage where she didn't want to look. As the seconds ticked down in the last two minutes, she gained the courage to look and enjoy.

Two players gave great hope though: Te Huinga Selby-Ricket on defence at one end of court and the catching and shooting of Caitlin Thwaites at the other (89%) helped by the indomitable Donna Wilkins (93%).  Selby-Ricket is in great form, with timely interceptions at crucial stages. Camilla Lees also showed vision and precise ball skills. Errors are still too common, but the Pulse additions to score in the last quarter reflected greater team belief and composure.

So things came together in the end for the Pulse. The unfortunate Steel were classy opponents, but their sound preparation and teamwork await recognition on another day. Theirs was an impressive whole-team effort, with close defensive marking especially in the first half. Jodi Brown at goal attack is forging an excellent combination with Fowler (both 90%), while Sulu Tone-Fitzpatrick and Rachel Rasmussen defended competently. Centre Phillipa Finch had a great game undeterred by an accidental elbow to the eye.