Tactix Remain Unbeaten By Southern Rivals
The VIP Frames and Trusses Tactix came away with a convincing 57-50 win over the Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel in their first match of the ANZ Premiership in a high quality game of Sunday night netball.
Honouring the memory of the late Kelly Hutton, who passed away in 2023 from ovarian cancer, and her sister Megan Hutton, the Hutton Family Trophy will be up for grabs every time the southern derby takes place.
The Tactix maintained their dominance over their southern rival, going unbeaten by the Steel in their last 9 matches, with a passionate home crowd on the edge of their seats while the teams fought for ball possession.
Coming onto the court for her debut, Holly Mathers took on the starting position at centre commanding the midcourt and convincingly feeding the ball into the goal circle.
Captain Erikana Pedersen led the team through a close first quarter achieving a four point lead but with equal ball possession between the sides, the Tactix went into halftime with only a one point advantage.
With the match neck-and-neck through the second quarter, the Steel stole valuable possession with intercepts in the midcourt changing the tide for the two teams, with the Steel leading at halftime.
Goal shoot Ellie Bird set the winning tone, maintaining approximately 90% shooting accuracy throughout the first half while Martina Salmon (on her debut for the Tactix) brought the heat to the goal circle, sinking the first two-point goal for the Tactix in the third quarter.
Both sides utilised the new time-out rule, taking the opportunity to break the flow of play during the second quarter, while the Tactix remained conservative on 2-point supershot attempts, with all shots (bar one) achieved from within the goal circle.
The international pairing of Jane Watson and Karin Burger were hot on defence, maintaining pressure in the Steel shooting circle, proving to be critical following the Steel's twelve, 2-point shot missed attempts.
The victory is an early statement from the Tactix, and is a testament to Head Coach Donna Wilkins' early work in shaping the team into a connected, competitive unit.
Next week the team takes on the Stars at Pulman Arena in Auckland.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Otago Daily Times
14 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Frustrating result for Steel as Tactix stay on top
Te Paea Selby-Rickit used to be a game winner for the Southern Steel. Nowadays she is punishing them as a playmaker for the Mainland Tactix and leading them to a 57-49 victory in Invercargill this afternoon. The goal attack was utterly dominant across the court for the Tactix, who retain the Hutton Family Trophy and stay at the top of the ANZ Premiership ladder. Selby-Rickit might have only slotted nine goals, but she dominated the attack end with 36 feeds, 27 goal assists and 17 centre pass receives. It was a frustrating result for the Steel, who let the Tactix get a roll on and were fighting back for much of the game. Steel co-captain Kate Heffernan made a welcome return from injury, albeit on managed minutes, in the second quarter. Paris Lokotui – in her 50th game – came up with an intercept in the pocket and the Tactix moved swiftly to find Ellie Bird on the base. Erikana Pederson's quick release to Bird at the back helped the visitors. When the Steel let the ball do the work and moved it around the circle edge, it opened up their attacking end to find Georgia Heffernan on the base. Centre Kimiora Poi split the circle with a nice feed to Aliyah Dunn. But the Tactix still held a 13-9 lead heading into the two-point time. Carys Stythe picked up an outside arm tip, but the Steel squandered the gain at the other end. But the Steel came home strong to the tail end of the quarter to trail 16-4 at the first break. Selby-Rickit burnt the Steel on the centre pass, popping out the middle channel to allow Pederson to get depth in the Tactix' second phase. That in turn helped Bird, who held high in the circle to give herself space along the base. Lokotui again snaffled a cross-court ball and Selby-Rickit's shooter-to-shooter offloads to Bird were perfect. The Steel put each other under pressure on the pass and the take, and Tactix defenders Jane Watson and Karin Burger confused the space. That gave the visitors a 26-19 lead, the biggest lead of the game. That saw the introduction of Abby Lawson at goal defence in a bid to shut down Selby-Rickit's dominance and Kate Heffernan at wing defence. The Steel came within three forcing the Tactix to call a time-out. There was a lift in the defence pressure thanks to the changes. They put on a strong zone to shut down the middle for the Tactix attackers. But the Tactix ball placement split the zone, and the circle, open to always find a way to their shooters. They withstood the pressure and forged ahead for a 32-26 lead at halftime. Kate Heffernan moved into centre, shifting Poi back to wing attack for the Steel to start the third quarter. The Tactix picked up where they left off, finding Bird far too easily under the post. But once Stythe moved her feet around Bird she grabbed a deflection – but again the Steel could not make it count. Their turnover to conversion rate hurt them and the Tactix went on a six-one run to open and suddenly led by 10. The Steel got stuck running, and not making any direct movements on attack. Defensively, they struggled to come off the body and pick up any ball. After a slow start to the quarter, the Steel came right in the final minutes. It took until end of the third quarter before Dunn slotted the first accurate two-pointer of the game. The Steel picked up a good rebound at the other end, and Dunn followed up with another two to trail 45-37 at the break. The Steel came back to level the final quarter 12-12, but were unable to get within five for a bonus point. Northern Stars defender Kate Burley has been ruled out for the rest of the season after re-aggravating her foot injury at training.
Otago Daily Times
14 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Tactix stay on top in frustrating result for Steel
Te Paea Selby-Rickit used to be a game winner for the Southern Steel. Nowadays she is punishing them as a playmaker for the Mainland Tactix and leading them to a 57-49 victory in Invercargill this afternoon. The goal attack was utterly dominant across the court for the Tactix, who retain the Hutton Family Trophy and stay at the top of the ANZ Premiership ladder. Selby-Rickit might have only slotted nine goals, but she dominated the attack end with 36 feeds, 27 goal assists and 17 centre pass receives. It was a frustrating result for the Steel, who let the Tactix get a roll on and were fighting back for much of the game. Steel co-captain Kate Heffernan made a welcome return from injury, albeit on managed minutes, in the second quarter. Paris Lokotui – in her 50th game – came up with an intercept in the pocket and the Tactix moved swiftly to find Ellie Bird on the base. Erikana Pederson's quick release to Bird at the back helped the visitors. When the Steel let the ball do the work and moved it around the circle edge, it opened up their attacking end to find Georgia Heffernan on the base. Centre Kimiora Poi split the circle with a nice feed to Aliyah Dunn. But the Tactix still held a 13-9 lead heading into the two-point time. Carys Stythe picked up an outside arm tip, but the Steel squandered the gain at the other end. But the Steel came home strong to the tail end of the quarter to trail 16-4 at the first break. Selby-Rickit burnt the Steel on the centre pass, popping out the middle channel to allow Pederson to get depth in the Tactix' second phase. That in turn helped Bird, who held high in the circle to give herself space along the base. Lokotui again snaffled a cross-court ball and Selby-Rickit's shooter-to-shooter offloads to Bird were perfect. The Steel put each other under pressure on the pass and the take, and Tactix defenders Jane Watson and Karin Burger confused the space. That gave the visitors a 26-19 lead, the biggest lead of the game. That saw the introduction of Abby Lawson at goal defence in a bid to shut down Selby-Rickit's dominance and Kate Heffernan at wing defence. The Steel came within three forcing the Tactix to call a time-out. There was a lift in the defence pressure thanks to the changes. They put on a strong zone to shut down the middle for the Tactix attackers. But the Tactix ball placement split the zone, and the circle, open to always find a way to their shooters. They withstood the pressure and forged ahead for a 32-26 lead at halftime. Kate Heffernan moved into centre, shifting Poi back to wing attack for the Steel to start the third quarter. The Tactix picked up where they left off, finding Bird far too easily under the post. But once Stythe moved her feet around Bird she grabbed a deflection – but again the Steel could not make it count. Their turnover to conversion rate hurt them and the Tactix went on a six-one run to open and suddenly led by 10. The Steel got stuck running, and not making any direct movements on attack. Defensively, they struggled to come off the body and pick up any ball. After a slow start to the quarter, the Steel came right in the final minutes. It took until end of the third quarter before Dunn slotted the first accurate two-pointer of the game. The Steel picked up a good rebound at the other end, and Dunn followed up with another two to trail 45-37 at the break. The Steel came back to level the final quarter 12-12, but were unable to get within five for a bonus point. Northern Stars defender Kate Burley has been ruled out for the rest of the season after re-aggravating her foot injury at training.
Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Otago Daily Times
Mother's diagnosis spurs Stythe into advocacy
Carys Stythe signs autographs for Southern Steel fans in Invercargill last weekend. PHOTO: MICHAEL BRADLEY PHOTOGRAPHY Carys Stythe was in her happy place. It was her second fully contracted season with the Northern Mystics last year and the rangy defender was starting to stamp her mark and come into her own. There were plenty of highs from the season, as the Mystics went on to be crowned back-to-back ANZ Premiership champions and Stythe got the callup for the Silver Ferns development squad. Then, in the middle of the season, she got the news. Her mother Sara, who had just celebrated her 50th birthday, had been diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer. It was an unimaginable new reality for the 21-year-old and her family. After having a sore stomach, her mother, who Stythe described as "very in tune" with her body, knew something was not right and went to see her doctor. But she had to fight for further testing to eventually get the diagnosis. "She had to push for herself to get a colonoscopy because they said 'you're too young to have anything in your bowel', which is terrible because lots of people are getting diagnosed young," Stythe said. "If someone sent Mum to go get a colonoscopy regularly, she would've been able to get it — but now she's got stage four cancer. "It's just the difference between A and B, I guess. "That's the one thing that we can urge people to do... Just test it." Stythe openly admits last year was really tough. "I don't even remember half of it. I was so upset the whole time. "Obviously I didn't show it on court because that was like my space away from what was going on at home." But her tight-knit family of father Gareth, older sister Imogen, 23 — who moved to London this week, which her mother encouraged — and younger sister Isla, 16, banded together to support one another. Her younger sister is autistic, and has relied heavily on their mother, so the family had the added pressure of helping her become more independent. Stythe is proud of how far she has come. Distance has never been a problem either, since Stythe landed in Invercargill with the Southern Steel this season. She made the trip to visit her loved ones when the Steel played in Hamilton earlier this season and their family chat was always ticking over with countless messages. "I literally talk to them on the phone every day. "We've still got that family connection and I'm only a flight away if she needs me. The Stythe family (from left) Isla, Imogen, Sara, Gareth and Carys. PHOTO: CARMEN BIRD "We're super close. I think that's what made it really hard as well." If there is anything Stythe wants people to take away, it is the importance of family. "Just soak up the time with your family. It's hard, but it does get easier." Looking to make the best of the situation, Stythe has continued to put one foot in front of the other. Her family gathered together to run the Auckland half marathon last year, all for a great cause, and raised $10,000 for Bowel Cancer New Zealand. It is a moment that still brings a smile to Stythe's face. Her work did not stop there. Stythe was an ambassador for the Move Your Butt campaign in February, designed to get people raising money by completing 100km to honour the 100 Kiwis who die of bowel cancer every month. The defender spent the month running, and walking, to help raise awareness for a cause that has become close to her heart. And it is not hard to see why she has become so passionate about it. "If regular colonoscopies were a thing from a young age, she wouldn't have stage four cancer right now. "She would've had it cured. It would've not even been a thing. "The fact she had to push to get one... she'll push for that, whereas I think other people wouldn't. "It just wouldn't have happened, so just really raising awareness for how young people can actually get it and[they're getting it] younger." More than 3300 New Zealanders are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year, a statistic no-one should have to live with, she says. Stythe continues to share information through her social media, including the group who protested outside Parliament, calling for lowering the age of eligibility for free bowel screening tests to 45 last month. "I'm just trying to get it out there, I guess. "Anyone that can hear it and take something from it, I guess, is what I want." Stythe has settled in well to life in the deep South. Living in Invercargill with her partner Hikoi Paki, and being part of a fresh Steel side that clicked from the moment they met made for an easy transition. "I'm just really loving my time here. "All the girls we're really good friends and the coaches are great. "I just think because I'm enjoying my time so much here it's showing on court." Stythe in action for the Steel against the Pulse in their ANZ Premiership game in Invercargill. PHOTO: MICHAEL BRADLEY PHOTOGRAPHY That is for certain. Stythe has been outstanding and leads the ANZ Premiership for rebounds (11), and deflections (22) and is fourth-equal for intercepts (seven). Stythe, who was the New Zealand secondary school player of the year in 2021, put it down to the Steel's environment, and more game time at goal keep allowing her to focus on her job. Learning from Steel coach Wendy Frew, and her family-first mentality, also allowed Stythe to settle in her role. "She's all about the person first and I think obviously with Mum, she's been really awesome about that," Stythe said. Adding in the two-point shot had added another layer to the game, and while most of the discussions have been related around the shooters, many forget there are defenders trying to stop it. Stythe says it turned the circle backwards — instead of trying to push shooters out of the circle, defenders wanted them closer to the post during the two-point time — and the rules made it hard to get around their opponents. But Stythe sees potential in the innovation. "It makes it fun. I know the fans love it so much. "I love it so much as well. When I'm down the other side and we get a two in, it just lifts the whole team." The Steel were hammered 70-45 by the Central Pulse last week. But it was a bad result in an otherwise positive start to the season and they get another shot when they host the Mainland Tactix this afternoon. The Steel lost 57-50 to the Tactix in the opening game, but the Tactix only really ran away in the final quarter. "We just need to bring it from the first whistle. "We could take away lots of good things from our first game against them, kind of keep doing that but see what we could do better so we can take the win." It will be a memorable game for many reasons. The Hutton Family Trophy will be on the line again, in honour of Kelly Hutton, who died of ovarian cancer, and her sister, Megan, who played for the Steel. In a nice touch, the Steel will also be doing their bit raising money for the Southern Cancer Society. And when Stythe runs out on to the court, there will be some lucky people in the stands watching on — her family, including her mother, who have made the trip to Invercargill to watch her play. "They're my biggest fans so I'm really excited to see them." ANZ Premiership 4pm, Invercargill Southern Steel: Aliyah Dunn, Georgia Heffernan, Summer Temu, Serina Daunakamakama, Kimiora Poi, Renee Savai'inaea, Carys Stythe, Abby Lawson, Khayne'-Lii Munro-Nonoa. Mainland Tactix: Ellie Bird, Te Paea Selby-Rickit, Martina Salmon, Erikana Pederson, Holly Mather, Parris Petera, Paris Lokotui, Karin Burger, Jane Watson, Charli Fidler.
