Stars win cross-town rivalry, Tactix beat Steel
- Apr 12
- 4 min read
The Stars Netball side have broken a seven-game losing streak when taking a hard-fought 63-59 win against their cross-town rivals Northern Mystics at Pulman Arena.
It also gave the Stars the edge in the Northern Challenge contested between the two sides each year and last won by the south Auckland team in 2019.
The home side put Abbie Leger and Julia Wynands to the match-day squad for midcourter Greer Sinclair and defender Lili Tokaduadua.
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For the Mystics, midcourters Tayla Earle and Katie Te Ao were ruled out with Anne Kirikiri, Stacey Ah Van and Grace Kukutai filling their spots.
With defender Phoenix Karaka, returning from maternity leave, and lining up for 150th national league match and new Mystics signing Maia Wilson turning out against her old team for the first time, the match had plenty riding on it.
The match remained on the line from the outset as both sides threw everything into the contest, each team having mini runs to take a tenuous hold before being reeled back in as the tussle went unabated from start to finish. Eventually, with a late run of possession in the dying minutes, the Stars held their poise to nail a riveting win.
All was not lost for the Mystics who did enough to seal an all-important bonus point for finishing within five goals.
With both sides boasting richly-talented shooting ends, the game got away to a strong and productive start in a high-scoring opening stanza.
Looking particularly sharp on attack, the Stars, edged to a handy five-goal lead with Amelia Walmsley poised under the hoop before the introduction of Kukutai steadied the Mystics midcourt.
Midcourt general Peta Toeava found improved links to Wilson as the visitors closed the gap but it was a Martina Salmon Summerset two-point shot that proved the difference in a close first quarter as the Stars headed to the first break with slim 18-16 lead.
In the second quarter the Mystics started quickly forcing their way into the lead. The high-scoring nature of the first quarter dipped a little as both sets of defenders tightened their grip with Mystics pair Catherine Hall and Karaka putting the squeeze on the Stars shooters.
An 8-2 start pushed the Mystics out to four-goal lead before Salmon nailed successive two-pointers to level up proceedings.
Wilson completed a stellar first half with a buzzer-beating two pointer to edge the Mystics into a slim 30-29 lead at the main break, in the process recording a satisfying 21 from 21 return for the opening 30 minutes.
The roles were reversed as the Stars opened the third quarter at a cracking pace with captain Mila Reuelu-Buchanan and Claire O’Brien delivering a pin-point service into their shooters.
Swapping roles in the goal circle, Salmon was a key figure in the goal shoot bib through her strong positional play, timing and holding game. At the other end, defender Kate Burley was instrumental in disrupting the Mystics attacking play while helping the home side skip out to a narrow lead and prompting a Mystics tactical time out.
It initially went against the Mystics who fell to a six-goal deficit before a late rally pulled them right back into the contest, the teams left all tied up at 47-apiece at three-quarter time. .
In the clash of the south betwen the Tactix and the Steel in Christchurch it was the defending champions who came through at home 55-42.
The Steel were clearly missing former captain Kate Heffernan, who signed for the Adelaide Thunderbirds in Australia’s Super Netball this year, leaving big shoes to fill in the midcourt. Coach Wendy Frew tried various combinations throughout the court, but none seemed to gel, the side committing 26 turnovers in the match.
In comparison, the Tactix didn’t make a single change until five minutes into the final quarter, resting centre Holly Mather for Taiana Day, and then bringing on Josie Seymour in the final two minutes. The Steel clawed back a 14-goal deficit in the fourth quarter to draw within nine goals, but couldn’t stop the dominance of the Tactix.
Bookending the Tactix team, Australians Charlie Bell and Ashlee Barnett were magnets for the ball. Bell is the tallest player in the Premiership, standing at 197cm and found no trouble breaking free from the Steel’s Carys Stythe - one of the standout defenders last season.
Bell had a massive 51 attempts, scoring 41 of them, and playing all 60 minutes alongside goal attack Amorangi Malesala. Barnett played a full match at goal keep, finishing with a massive 12 gains, four intercepts and seven rebounds.
As the Tactix continued to pile on the goals and extend their lead, Frew told her players to play for pride in their dress, and the Steel showed their Southern heart, never giving up and almost winning the final quarter but just falling short. The Steel have not beaten the Tactix in four years, as the Mainland team continue their dominance at home.
Throughout the match, the Steel had no answers to the Tactix attack, but were their own worst enemy in their attacking third, throwing possession away under the pressure of the Tactix defence. The Steel scored from only 53 percent of their centre passes, which will be disappointing for the inaugural champs nine years ago.
Shooting at just 70 percent accuracy, veterans Aliyah Dunn and Georgia Heffernan struggled under the Tactix defence, with rookie Ella Southby joining the duo in the circle to try and provide something different. Captain Kimiora Poi had a low error rate, but couldn’t find support and consistency in the midcourt, despite playing alongside younger sister Ashleigh.
