Manukura prevail in grand final dress rehearsal
Manukura Black must now have firmed as favourites with the bookmakers for the club netball grand final in two weeks.
Manukura beat Massey 59-53 in the final round of the regular season at the Arena on Tuesday night, in what was a warmup for when the two sides meet again in the final on Friday, September 1.
Playoffs for third to eighth spot are next Tuesday, but the big dance is the following week.
The final will be a replay of the past two years, but this season unbeaten Manukura will be the form horse, having swapped positions with Massey, who won the title last year.
Manukura looked the better of the two teams for most of their clash on Tuesday, despite Massey’s solid start.
A lively Maddie Wells was Massey’s best player at centre, with sharp circle feeding, and her combination in the first half with shooters Keaghan Seymour and Kamie Veikoso was looking good.
Despite intense pressure from Manukura defenders Antonia Hei Hei and Layce Walker, who get stuck into everything, Massey was finding a way to score.
They traded goals for most of the first half, being level 13-all at quartertime, then Manukura were up 28-26 at halftime.
But in the second half Manukura started applying the blowtorch in midcourt. Massey couldn’t look after the ball and Manukura gladly capitalised on the turnover ball, quickly shooting out to a fivegoal lead.
Manukura goal shoot Emily Autagavaia was getting a steady supply of ball from centre Braxton Te Riini, wing attack Diahn Strickland and later player-coach Renee Matoe, who came on at wing attack. Matoe and wing defence Renee Te Riini, another off the bench, closed Massey down.
At the end both teams weren’t patient with their circle feeding.
Third to sixth spot weren’t decided until the final round, and
jumped up to third in the final standings with a 70-48 win over who were knocked down to sixth.
Rahui College Old Girls,
Rahui led the whole way against College, despite COG winning the second quarter 18-17.
Rahui led 30-26 at halftime, but then scored 40 goals in the second half to College’s 22, giving them a comfortable win.
College shooter Manta Maxwell was accurate, scoring 38 from 41.
COG will play Feilding A1, who also lost on Tuesday, to decide fifth and sixth spot.
will also have a chance to finish third, having beaten 57-49.
In the first quarter it as all Feilding, as they were well on top and leading 19-12. Feilding were shooting confidently, grabbing rebounds and their defence wasn’t giving Manukura much.
But after that the flood of goals
Manukura Red Feilding A1
through Manukura goal shoot Rochelle Fourie was too much to stop. The tall Fourie, who seems to be able to grab long passes over the top of anyone, sunk 47 goals from 55 attempts.
In the second quarter, Manukura’s midcourt started putting the pressure on Feilding, who couldn’t string any passes together. Feilding’s seven-goal lead dried up quickly and Manukura swung into a 29-26 halftime lead.
Feilding were better in the third quarter, but couldn’t stop the supply of ball to Fourie, who holds her space well.
The fourth quarter was similar to the second, with Manukura grabbing a few important rebounds and they won comfortably in the end.
Hard-working goal defence Cecilia Autagavaia also stood out for Manukura and Ariana Tepania played well at centre and wing attack. Feilding’s best were midcourter Brenna Romley, one of the few to keep a cool head, a shooter Maila Muliaga, who got into space and shot well.
Palmerston North Girls’ High School Feilding A2
and played out a preview of their playoff for seventh and eighth place next week.
Girls High beat Feilding 57-41 to finish 17 points clear of last-placed Feilding and should repeat that when they playoff for last place next week. The schoolgirls led 26-17 at halftime.