Taurua relishes ‘intense’ Australian competition

Former Southern Steel netball coach Noeline Taurua is enjoying the intensity of the new Australian netball competition.

The Sunshine Coast Lightning coach is noticing the even nature of the eight-team Suncorp Super Netball league.

The Lightning sit second equal on the ladder after six rounds, with four wins, a loss and a draw from their six games, with four of their matches being decided by six goals or less.

The first round of the Australian competition started in February with all four matches decided by five goals or less, in stark contrast to the early lopsided results from all but one match in the opening round of New Zealand’s ANZ Premiership.

‘‘We are full on at the moment and it has been very intense, we have had games and it has only been in the dying seconds that we have either won or lost and it is very competitive from one week to the other,’’ she said.

‘‘The competitive nature of what the competition spits out week to week is amazing.’’