Leota loving coaching at Pulse in Premiership
- Apr 16
- 3 min read
Stepping into the assistant coach role surrounded by unfamiliar faces was the perfect fit for Liana Leota when she joined the Pulse for the 2026 ANZ Premiership netball league.
The prospect of building a new team alongside head coach Anna Andrews-Tasola was tailor-made for the former Pulse and Silver Ferns midcourter, who returned to New Zealand last year after forging a blossoming coaching career in England where she lived for 14 years.
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With a degree of uncertainty surrounding what sort of performance the re-built Pulse would actually deliver, there was a satisfying starting point with an opening round win and in the background, an accompanying air of quiet optimism.
``I’m the type of person where the glass is always half empty,’’ Leota said. ``So, I was definitely happy with the win and we’ve got to factor in that we’re a new-look team but I thought there were opportunities where we could have really put the foot on the pedal and got a bigger scoreline.
``So, lots of learnings to take away and a few tweaks needed here and there but if we’re looking at the foundation and a point to start on, really happy with it.’’
With the Tactix lying in wait for the Round 2 clash, in Christchurch on Sunday, the team from the south, who have gone through a similar seismic shift in playing personnel, also had a comfortable first-round win, leaving the Pulse with plenty to ponder.
``It’s a bit of a hard one,’’ Leota said. ``From where we played them two weeks ago in pre-season to what we saw from them in the first round, was a little bit different. So, again it’s taking in how much they’ve grown since then, and definitely the physicality in the way they play the space.
``I think there’s going to be good physical 60-minute effort from both and whoever lasts that 60 minutes will come out on top.
``On attack, we’ve got to be smart with ball. I think we’ve got a good game plan…..it’s just how long we can stick to it. So, for us, it’s just applying scoreboard pressure early and if they’re going to play that two-point game, how we counter that.’’
With an assembled mix of experience and up-and-coming talent coming together from near and far, Leota has found the current crop at her fingertips an ``easy’’ group to work with.
``I think they’re all willing to be open, all willing to be vulnerable, all willing to learn,’’ she said.
``So, as a coach, that just makes my job easy and I’ve just got to make sure I come through with clarity in my technical and tactical skills, making sure I keep it simple to start with and then we start layering those complexities afterwards.
``I’m relishing this situation. When you’ve got a blank canvas the world is your oyster. You can put down the foundations that you want, so coming back home and being able to do that with a new group also meant that we could set platforms for the future.
``Being part of that is very cool. We get to set the foundation, we’re just starting to see them now and from here, it is what is next and where can we move to? And knowing this is a young group, the future looks bright.’’
Leota played in the UK Super League before turning to coaching with the Leeds Rhinos while also having time as a technical coach and head coach with the England Roses.
Leota travels from her home in Palmerston North to Wellington four times a week for training and game-day but is well-used to long stints on the road.
``When I lived in the UK, I was travelling Manchester to Leeds (about 70km), so the commute is fine,’’ she said.
``The opening of Transmission Gully has made it a very good drive and it’s just nice to be able to go home to my children and see my family at the end of the day.’’
