At a glance
Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit doesn’t generate too much fanfare, but the Southern Steel defender might just be the most under-rated netballer in the country.
Selby-Rickit was an absolute menace in the Steel’s upset win over the table-topping Central Pulse on Monday night, grabbing four intercepts, three deflections and two rebounds. She did a stellar job unsettling the Pulse teen shooting duo of Aliyah Dunn and Tiana Metuarau, who were kept quiet.
Selby-Rickit played two tests for the Silver Ferns in 2013, but has often been unavailable for national trials or struggled to break through when Casey Kopua, Harrison and Leana de Bruin were in their pomp.
With last year’s competition MVP Jane Watson leaving the Steel in the off-season and import defender Malysha Kelly suffering a season-ending injury in preseason, Selby-Rickit has led the way in the Round 10:
❚ Tomorrow 4.10pm: Mystics v Stars at Trusts Arena, Auckland.
❚ Monday 7.40pm: Magic v Steel at Claudelands Arena, Hamilton.
❚ Wednesday 7.40pm: Tactix v Pulse at Horncastle Arena, Christchurch. Points (games played): Pulse 18 (10), Steel 16 (11), Tactix 14 (11), Magic 12 (10), Mystics 10 (10), Stars 9 (10).
The race is well and truly on for top three finals berths. Despite losing their second game of the season on Monday against the Steel, the Pulse are well placed to finish round-robin play in first place and lock in a home final in Wellington on August 12.
Defending champions, the Steel, will rate their chances of qualifying for the elimination final (two vs three), but then things get murky. The third-placed Tactix have a challenging road home, facing the Pulse twice and the Steel and Magic away.
Most would fancy the Magic, but Wednesday’s surprise loss to the Stars and Casey Kopua’s foot injury, has created uncertainty. The Stars have probably left their run too late, while the Mystics will likely need to win four of their last five to have any slim shot.
Recipe to beat the Pulse
Did the Steel reveal the blueprint for beating the competition title favourites? Young Pulse shooters Aliyah Dunn and Tiana Metuarau battled against the physicality of the Steel defenders in Monday’s 51-47 loss in Invercargill.
The Pulse midcourt also lacked their usual impact with Steel skipper Wendy Frew getting the better of midcourters Claire Kersten and Whitney Souness. That pressure restricted the Pulse to 47 goals, well down on their season average of 58.
Dunn, arguably the MVP of the competition thus far, was also limited to 22 goals, her second lowest amount of the season.