Mind the gap: Pulse captain predicts tighter competition
Katrina Grant expects the gap to close.
The Southern Steel were too good for everyone in the ANZ Premiership last year, winning every game including the final, while the struggling Mainland Tactix and Northern Stars were at the other end of the spectrum, winning just six games between them.
But Grant, the skipper of beaten finalists Central Pulse, is expecting a tighter competition in 2018, especially as the Steel prepare for a season without linchpin shooter Jhaniele Fowler, who has jumped across to the West Coast Fever in Australia’s Super Netball.
The Jamaican star slotted 3678 goals from 4020 attempts at a rate of 91.4 per cent during her five seasons at the Steel, and Grant is one of the many defenders no doubt relieved to see the end of her.
‘‘It’s going to be interesting to see how the teams all come together now with a few [player] movements [in the offseason], and now that Fowler’s gone and how the Steel deal with that,’’ said Grant when weighing up the rest of the competition.
The Steel have also lost tournament MVP Jane Watson to the Tactix, a move that should make the perennial strugglers significantly more competitive after winning just eight of their 67 games over the past five seasons.
‘‘I definitely think it’s going to be one of the closest competitions that we’ve seen, and you can see for a fact that the Tactix will definitely not be at the bottom of the table at all.
‘‘They’ve come through and they’re really starting to show something, and the Magic will be strong as well.’’
The Pulse have lost some key personnel themselves with senior players Cathrine Tuivaiti and Phoenix Karaka both moving on.
But those departures have been offset by the return of Silver Ferns shooter Ameliaranne Ekenasio from maternity leave and the arrival of Sulu Fitzpatrick from the Stars.
‘‘Sulu coming down from Auckland is massive. ❚ ❚ ❚