Super Rugby Highlanders wing Jona Nareki
Super Rugby Highlanders wing Jona Nareki joins Jesse for a chat about what it's like playing for the mighty Otago Highlanders and how they plan to improve their fortunes this season.
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© Photosport Ltd 2021
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Netball: Slick Tactix take step closer to elusive home final
Amelia Walmsley of the Pulse (left) and Jane Watson of the Tactix tussle for the ball. Photo: © Photosport Ltd 2025 It was the most complete performance of the season from the Tactix, and cemented their position at the top of netball's ANZ Premiership table. The Tactix were firing on all cylinders when they beat the Pulse 61-50 in Christchurch on Sunday. The Mystics are second on the table, and the Pulse third. If the Magic can get a win over the Mystics tonight, they will jump into third, and consign the Pulse to fourth, with four rounds left in the regular season. Martina Salmon started ahead of Ellie Bird in goal shoot and did a brilliant job in tandem with Te Paea Selby-Rickit. Selby-Rickit is not known as a high volume shooter but the veteran goal attack sunk 24 goals, along with Salmon's 36, which made life difficult for the Pulse defenders. It was a huge contrast to the Pulse. Goal shoot Amelia Walmsley was a beacon, scoring 44 goals at 100 percent but goal attack Tiana Metuarau only put up four goals from six attempts. The game pit the teams with the two best defensive records in the league against each other but it was the Tactix Karin Burger-Jane Watson combo that came out on top by far. The Pulse circle pairing of Kelly Jackson and Parris Mason did not have the impact that they normally do. Tactix wing defence Paris Lokotui believed it was her side's best outing this season. "And I believe we've been working towards that the whole year. We were able to get ball on defence and transition that into goals and it was cool to see Martina [Salmon] get a full game out there and get the MVP performance today," Lokotui said. "It was cool that we were able to do that complete performance and work towards the final goal, which is getting a home final." Martina Salmon tries to grab the ball. Photo: © Photosport Ltd 2025 There were three turnovers before the first goal was scored via the Pulse, who got off to a fast start before the Tactix adjusted and led 15-14 after the first quarter. Watson and Burger created some misunderstandings down in the Pulse attacking end, while the Tactix were finding it easier to score. Salmon nailed the first of just two super shots scored across the game, when she beat the half-time whistle to push the Tactix out to a 35-26 lead. Pulse coach Anna Andrews-Tasola played around with the midcourt; at one point Whitney Souness headed to the bench and Maddy Gordon switched to wing attack. Whenever the Pulse got on a mini run, they would throw the ball away. In the end the visitors committed 25 turnovers, which Metuarau described as uncharacteristic. "I didn't feel like every single pass was pressured so in a sense we probably did it to ourselves in just not taking for example an extra pass or resetting, just small things like that," Metuarau said. "Despite the fact that the difference was 11 it actually still felt contested in that last quarter and with the nature of the game now, we can still fight back. "They capitalised on the majority of the ball that they had, which was probably the difference. I think we'd like to get our gains up as a defensive end but I thought there was still some positives, we were still applying some really good pressure in the second half." The home side's starting seven remained on court for the entire game, with the exception of Erikana Pedersen who started cramping with a couple of minutes left in the game. Lokotui said having two very different goal shooters competing for the starting bib, was a big asset. "And it's cool that Te Paea can kind of become a third feeder when that's needed but also put up lots of shots when that works well for us as a team. It was really cool that we were able to do that and execute in those crucial moments." Lokotui said they took on board what the Mystics did when they beat the Pulse in the previous round. "The Mystics came out of the blocks firing and we wanted to do the exact same, we knew that the Pulse were going to be strong and they started really strong so it was just for us keeping the pressure on throughout the whole game, executing crucial moments and finishing where we needed." The Mystics host the Magic in Auckland tonight.
