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RNZ News
3 days ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
Blowouts, unpredictable results define first half of ANZ Premiership
Mila Reuelu-Buchanan takes the ball in the Stars v Magic match Photo: Photosport / Andrew Cornaga Analysis - The Magic inflicted more pain on the Stars with a 71-54 win in Auckland on Monday night. Last week the Magic beat the Stars by 21 goals but the Stars weren't able to exact any kind of revenge when they met for the second time in a week. The Magic sit fourth on the ANZ Premiership ladder, while the Stars are at the bottom after just one win in five games. For the first time this season Maia Wilson started the game at goal shoot for the Stars, with Australian import shooter Charlie Bell on the bench after a couple of quiet games. Last week Stars defender Kate Burley was ruled out of the season altogether after reaggravating a foot injury at training. The Stars have been missing the tenacious defender and it's another blow after losing midcourter Greer Sinclair in the first round to a season ending knee injury. The Magic continued where they left off last week to lead the Stars 20-11 after the first quarter. The Stars desperately needed to contain the Magic attacking end and coach Temepara Bailey responded by bringing Kayla Johnson on at goal defence, and moving Lili Tokaduadua to goal keep. On return from injury, Samon Nathan made her first appearance of the season when she played 18 minutes at wing defence. Despite a better second quarter and Monica Falkner nailing three super shots, the Magic led 38-29 at half-time. Bell came on at goal shoot with six minutes left in the third quarter but the Stars just couldn't make any headway and the Magic led 56-39 at the final turn. Magic coach Mary-Jane Araroa made her first substitution in two games by bringing on Oceane Maihi at goal defence with 10 minutes left. Saviour Tui earned back-to-back MVP awards after shooting 46 goals at 94 percent. Magic captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio was also a big contributor, shooting 25 goals in support. The Mystics celebrate. Photo: Marty Melville / Photosport Score blowouts and unpredictable results have characterised the first half of netball's ANZ Premiership. In round two, no one would have predicted the Steel would thrash the Magic by 28 goals. In round four the Magic beat the Stars by 21 goals to register their first of the season. Against all predictions the injury depleted Mystics beat the Pulse on the weekend, who were coming off a 25 goal thrashing of the Steel, and the week before that a 24 goal win over the Stars. Former Silver Ferns coach Yvonne Willering said the topsy turvy results were concerning. "Because it just shows inconsistency and at the moment it's actually really hard to predict, it's not clear cut in predicting winners each week," Willering said. "You look at it and go 'well this team should win' but who knows what's going to happen, you cannot take past results into account when you're trying to predict winners. "In a way I guess that's a good thing but personally as a coach and seeing this and looking to our future because this is our elite competition you would want to see far more consistency in the performances of not just teams but also individual players." The intention of the two-point shot is that it gives teams an opportunity to catch up on the score board, but it can do the opposite. When a margin gets big enough, the trailing team naturally feels that their only option to winning is through nailing super shots. The Stars were in that position last night but Bell was only able to land one from eight attempts from that range, with the rebound often ending up in the hands of the opposition. At the half-way point of the season the Tactix are top of the table, ahead of the Mystics in second place, and the Pulse third. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Scoop
Pulse Power Past Stars In Auckland
Press Release – Stars Netball The Go Media Stars have been handed their second loss of the ANZ Premiership season, falling to the Pulse 69-45 at Pulman Arena. The Stars came out buoyed by last week's impressive win over the Tactix, but knew they'd face a tough task against a well-polished Pulse outfit. The Stars struggled to build phases with the ball on attack and were under fire by the ruthless defensive duo of Kelly Jackson and Parris Mason, who made Stars shooters Maia Wilson and Charlie Bell work hard for every goal. Lili Tokaduadua once again donned the goal defence bib and her connection with goal keep Remi Kamo continued to build nicely, as they too pressured the Pulse with every attacking raid sent their way. The Pulse managed to capitalise on more of their opportunities and raced out to a large lead and with the Stars unable to convert in the two-point period and the Pulse shooting at 100% as a team, they found themselves down 16-8 after one. The introduction of Kayla Johnson at wing defence provided some steadiness through the middle of the court, with her experience showing through the timing of her passes to ignite the attack. The Pulse continued to play at a rapid speed and the Stars at times struggled to keep up as they fell further behind. Charlie Bell worked tirelessly under the post and with the two-point hooter giving the green light for some freedom, she responded, hitting the Stars' first two-pointer of the match. The Stars maintained a valiant effort and were rewarded for their defensive tenacity with Kamo snatching an impressive intercept off some sloppy Pulse play. The Pulse remained on top at the half-time break however, ahead 36-19 as the teams debriefed in the changing sheds. Maia Wilson moved from goal attack to goal shoot to open the second half and looked comfortable back in a position she knows so well, showing poise in front of goal and stringing together a number of successful shots. Determined to improve on their first half showing, the Stars showed glimpses of the side that picked up their first win last weekend, with some slick play on attack and unwavering defensive effort helping them keep parity with the Pulse for much of the quarter. The crowd came alive in the final five minutes as Wilson alongside Monica Falkner at goal attack, put on a show, nailing three two-point shots in a row to end the quarter on a high, only losing the quarter by a solitary goal, but still trailing 50-32 heading into the fourth. The Stars battled to the very end, led by their mid-court leader Mila Reuelu-Buchanan who refused to quit while she was on the court. Wilson and Bell finished strongly with some fantastic two-pointers – netting three to finish the match. The Pulse continued to run downhill to the finish line of the match, with their anticipation on defence earning them extra possessions and they made it count on the scoreboard with a 69-45 victory as the final whistle sounded. The Stars travel to Hamilton next Monday to face the Magic.
Scoop
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Scoop
Pulse Power Past Stars In Auckland
The Go Media Stars have been handed their second loss of the ANZ Premiership season, falling to the Pulse 69-45 at Pulman Arena. The Stars came out buoyed by last week's impressive win over the Tactix, but knew they'd face a tough task against a well-polished Pulse outfit. The Stars struggled to build phases with the ball on attack and were under fire by the ruthless defensive duo of Kelly Jackson and Parris Mason, who made Stars shooters Maia Wilson and Charlie Bell work hard for every goal. Lili Tokaduadua once again donned the goal defence bib and her connection with goal keep Remi Kamo continued to build nicely, as they too pressured the Pulse with every attacking raid sent their way. The Pulse managed to capitalise on more of their opportunities and raced out to a large lead and with the Stars unable to convert in the two-point period and the Pulse shooting at 100% as a team, they found themselves down 16-8 after one. The introduction of Kayla Johnson at wing defence provided some steadiness through the middle of the court, with her experience showing through the timing of her passes to ignite the attack. The Pulse continued to play at a rapid speed and the Stars at times struggled to keep up as they fell further behind. Charlie Bell worked tirelessly under the post and with the two-point hooter giving the green light for some freedom, she responded, hitting the Stars' first two-pointer of the match. The Stars maintained a valiant effort and were rewarded for their defensive tenacity with Kamo snatching an impressive intercept off some sloppy Pulse play. The Pulse remained on top at the half-time break however, ahead 36-19 as the teams debriefed in the changing sheds. Maia Wilson moved from goal attack to goal shoot to open the second half and looked comfortable back in a position she knows so well, showing poise in front of goal and stringing together a number of successful shots. Determined to improve on their first half showing, the Stars showed glimpses of the side that picked up their first win last weekend, with some slick play on attack and unwavering defensive effort helping them keep parity with the Pulse for much of the quarter. The crowd came alive in the final five minutes as Wilson alongside Monica Falkner at goal attack, put on a show, nailing three two-point shots in a row to end the quarter on a high, only losing the quarter by a solitary goal, but still trailing 50-32 heading into the fourth. The Stars battled to the very end, led by their mid-court leader Mila Reuelu-Buchanan who refused to quit while she was on the court. Wilson and Bell finished strongly with some fantastic two-pointers - netting three to finish the match. The Pulse continued to run downhill to the finish line of the match, with their anticipation on defence earning them extra possessions and they made it count on the scoreboard with a 69-45 victory as the final whistle sounded. The Stars travel to Hamilton next Monday to face the Magic.
RNZ News
18-05-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Netball: Stars spurred on by tragedy and adversity upset Tactix
Stars Charlie Bell during the Stars v Tactix ANZ Premiership match. Photo: Blake Armstrong/Photosport The Stars upset the Tactix 57-52 in Auckland last night after an extremely challenging week for the franchise. Three players were injured when the Stars lost their opening game of the season to the Mystics last weekend. Scans later confirmed an ACL injury to midcourter Greer Sinclair, which meant her season was over before it barely began. Defender Kate Burley is nursing a foot injury so was not available yesterday, and will be assessed week to week. Assistant coach Leana de Bruin was on the Stars coaching bench, just a day after receiving the tragic news that her brother in South Africa had died suddenly. De Bruin played 34 tests for South Africa before moving to New Zealand in 2000, where she went on to play 104 tests for the Silver Ferns. Stars captain Maia Wilson said they had so much to play for. "Leana got the news that her brother passed away Saturday morning back in South Africa so she had pretty much had 24 hours to process that. I think she's hopping on a plane in the next 24-48 hours to head to South Africa for two weeks to be with her family. So another reason to be able to play hard," Wilson said. The Stars captain was proud of her side's performance. "Really really happy, we've faced so much adversity over the last week, as well as having some milestones in terms of debutants last week that got overshadowed by all the other stuff going on so really proud of the girls to be able to turn things around, stay really connected and come out with a win." The game also marked the 100th ANZ Premiership match for Mila Reuelu-Buchanan, who played 45 minutes last night, as she returns from an ACL injury. "She's a massive part of our team. I think she's the anchor in terms of drive, determination, vibrancy and bringing a lot of life, her work ethic is second to none and that shows how well she's been able to come back from her ACL so two big weeks for her and awesome to be able to come out with a win on her 100th game." Mila Reuelu-Buchanan Photo: Photosport Former Silver Fern Kayla Johnson, who has been brought in as injury cover for the Stars, played 16 minutes at wing defence. "She comes back in quite seamlessly and really cool to have her wealth of knowledge and experience to be able to put her out in a game like this when Mila wasn't fully back to a 60 minute game just gave our team some backbone to help continue our momentum. "She's been playing social indoor netball and she's been playing some club netball …she's definitely still got the lungs for it." Australian import Charlie Bell shot 40 goals at 90 percent accuracy and pushed the Stars out to a 15-14 lead at the first break, thanks to back-to-back two point shots. The Tactix looked out of sorts and couldn't shake the defensive pressure the Stars brought. In the absence of Burley, Lili Tokaduadua played her first full game at goal defence, and pulled off some stunning intercepts. In the third quarter Tactix captain Erikana Pedersen had to go off with an ankle injury. At the end of three quarters the Stars led 44-38 and pressure started building on the Tactix to convert some two-pointers. And they did just that, with Te Paea Selby-Rickit and Martina Salmon combining to sink three successive super shots and suddenly they trailed by just two with two minutes left to play. But the Stars regrouped and scored singles, while more attempts at the super shot just didn't land for the Tactix. Tactix defender Karin Burger said they knew coming into the game that the Stars would be playing with a lot of heart. "I think you could see that on court tonight, they were probably just a little bit more hungry for ball. We at times got close but we just let ourselves down in the last few minutes especially. We needed to win a bit more ball in defence, and hold on to possession, we committed a few silly turnovers," Burger said.
RNZ News
11-05-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Three Stars players hurt in Mystics loss - 'never been in a game like this'
Charlie Bell is injured during the Northern Mystics v Stars ANZ Premiership match, on Sunday. Photo: Blake Armstrong The Stars captain could not hold back tears after watching three team-mates helped off the court in their ANZ Premiership season opener. The Mystics beat the Stars 71-55 on Auckland's North Shore, but the Stars had to exhaust all their bench options in a game marred by injury. Wing defence Greer Sinclair had to be wheeled off late in the first quarter, with what looked like a potentially serious knee injury. Defender Kate Burley then had to come off late in third quarter, with a suspected lower leg injury, then with 90 seconds left in the game Charlie Bell came off with what looked like an ankle or calf injury. Captain Maia Wilson, who has been playing elite netball for a decade told Sky Sport "I've never been in a game like this". The Stars had to do a lot of shuffling, with midcourter Mila Reuelu-Buchanan only able to play 30 minutes in her first game since injuring her knee last year. The team already had reinforcements, with training partner Tori Kolose covering midcourter Samon Nathan, who is out injured for a few weeks. Shooter Monica Falkner was used at wing attack at times during the game. Donnell Wallam is playing for the Mystics (file photo). Photo: Andrew Cornaga/ The Stars got off to a promising start. It was a high scoring first quarter, with a remarkable eight super shots nailed between Filda Vui, Maia Wilson, and Charlie Bell, at a 100 percent conversion rate. Just as remarkable, was that no super shot was landed after that. The Stars led 22-20 at the first turn - their best-ever first quarter score in the competition. But the Mystics took advantage of a break in play courtesy of a Stars team time-out, five minutes into the second quarter, and came out with new energy. The defending champions applied pressure and started chipping into the Stars lead. The Mystics jumped ahead of the Stars 35-32 at half-time, winning the quarter 15-10. Mystics goal keep Catherine Hall started pulling off some well-timed intercepts. Wing attack Peta Toeava started coming to the fore with some flashy feeds in to new shooter Donnell Wallam, who finished the game with an impressive 52 goals at 91 percent. Bell too was promising for the Stars, with the Australian scoring 41 goals and proving a nice target. The Tactix beat the Steel 57-50 in Christchurch in the final match of the round on Sunday. The Steel had their own injuries to deal with, calling in Stars training partner Khanye-Lii Munro-Nonoa as cover in the defensive end. Silver Fern Kate Heffernan was out after picking up a knee injury earlier in the week during training - it's not known how serious it is. Liana Leota spent three years as the England Roses technical coach. Photo: © Photosport Ltd 2023 So assistant Steel coach and former Silver Fern Liana Leota was named on the bench for the southerners. Remarkably, and to the delight of the crowd, the 40-year-old spent 10 minutes on court at wing attack for her old club, when she was injected in the third quarter. Last year Leota stepped down from her role as England Roses technical coach and her position as Leeds Rhinos director of netball to take up the assistant coaching role at the Steel. Her last season playing domestic netball was in 2022 in the England league. The Tactix led 14-10 after the first quarter, but the Steel dominated the second spell to take a 27-26 half-time lead. The home side took a 1 goal lead at the final turn and really put their foot down in the final 15 minutes. The game saw the second suspension of the weekend with Steel goal shoot Aliyah Dunn sent to the bench for two minutes for dangerous play in the final quarter. Tactix shooter Martina Salmon was impressive at her new club, shooting 26 goals in her 30 minutes on court, plus landing a super shot. Former Tactix player Dunn, scored 32 goals as well as three super shots, and Georgia Heffernan finished with 10 goals and two super shots. Carys Stythe, who made the move from the Mystics to the Steel came up with a lot of turnovers to earn the MVP honours. Read what happened, in the Mystics - Stars game, with RNZ's blog: Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
