At a glance
Sunday 4.10pm: Stars v Pulse at Pulman Arena, Auckland. Monday 7.40pm: Steel v Tactix at Stadium Southland, Invercargill. Wednesday 7.40pm: Magic v Mystics at Energy Events Centre, Rotorua.
Pulse 20 (11), Steel 18 (12), Tactix 14 (12), Magic 12 (11), Stars 11 (11), Mystics 11 (11)
Who wants it? This could very much be the last team standing. The Pulse should finish first and the Steel look poised to secure second spot. Third spot is wide open. The Tactix hold the last finals spot, but have a formidable run home with the Pulse, and the Steel and Magic away. With Casey Kopua the latest Magic player to succumb to a season-ending injury, they suddenly look vulnerable. The Stars have found form, but may have left their run too late and play the table-topping Pulse twice. Don’t discount the Mystics, who have been awful in recent weeks, but have a decent draw to finish. Look for the Magic match against the Tactix on July 30 to effectively be a sudden-death showdown for the last finals spot.
Beko League delivering
The second-tier Beko League was created in 2016 to ease the transition to the elite ranks and it’s certainly done its job. Just some of the graduates through to the national premiership include: Aliyah Dunn, Tiana Metuarau, and Karin Burger (Pulse), Monica Falkner and Ariana Cable-dixon (Magic), Elisapeta Toeava, Michaela Sokolich-beatson, and Jamie Hume (Mystics), Jennifer O’connell (Steel) and Ellie Bird and Kimiora Poi (Tactix). With injuries hampering virtually every side this season, teams have had to draw on their Beko squads and those young players haven’t looked out of place in the premiership. That will only continue to create competition for places and build much-needed positional depth in New Zealand netball.
Round 11:
Points (games played):