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Netball: Mainland Tactix regain ANZ Premiership lead with win over Northern Stars

Charlie Bell of the Stars and Karin Burger of the Tactix tussle for the ball during their ANZ Premiership Netball match at Wolfbrook Arena, Christchurch, 22th June 2025. Photo: © Photosport Ltd 2025 Mainland Tactix have regained the ANZ Premiership netball lead, but Northern Stars have uncovered a new shooting sensation. The Tactix beat the Stars 61-53 in Christchurch and now lead the premiership by one point from the champion Mystics, who had a brief 24 hours at the top, after beating Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic 63-51 on Saturday night . The win sounds comfortable for the Tactix and they certainly controlled the first half, leading at the break 36-19, but the game opened up in the second half, with the Stars bringing a lot more energy to their game and disrupting the Tactix flow. The big talking point was the debut performance of diminutive Stars goal attack Marie Hansen, who took the court late in the match and nailed five super shots out of six attempts to give the Tactix a few jittery moments. Hansen - who plays for the Comets in the Netball National League - said she only got the call-up on Thursday. "It definitely took me by surprise," she told Sky Sport. "I think this has never been on the cards for me, just being a shorter shooter. "It was cool getting the call-up.'' Tactix captain Jane Watson, a commanding presence particularly in the first half, joked about the problem that Hansen posed to the defence. "It's bloody hard when they are really short, you just lose them," she said. "She was quick as well. "She came on with so much energy and she did a really good job, so kudos to her." Goal shoots Ellie Bird (Tactix) and Charlie Bell (Stars) both shot 100 percent with their one-point shots, and uncannily both missed their single super shot attempts, with Bird's miss coming in the last 10 seconds of the game. Kayla Johnson, who had a strong game for the Stars, will now be a permanent replacement player for the injured Kate Burley through to the end of the season, the Stars announced during the match. Fellow defender Julia Wynands will stay with the Stars until the end of round nine, as an interim replacement. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.