Pulse by the numbers

■ 11: Wins this season from 16 games

■ 618: Goals from shooter Aliyah Dunn (most in the competition)

■ 3: ANZ Premiership titles the Pulse have won (most in competition history)

■ 46: Intercepts gained by Kelly Jury this season (most in the competition)

■ 48: Goals conceded per game (fewest in competition)

■ 22: Average age of the Pulse squad in 2022 – the youngest in the competition

■ 15: Number of players who took the court for the Pulse this season

(ACL) with Hunt injured in pre-season.

On the eve of their first game, McCausland-Durie and the bulk of the squad were hit with Covid-19, forcing their season opener to be postponed. In a weird kind of way, McCausland-Durie said it proved a blessing in disguise, getting their outbreak out the way early on. Other teams dodged Covid-19 in the early rounds, but were ravaged later in the season, disrupting their progress and forcing rescheduled matches.

The Pulse feared a second Covid-19 wave in grand final week and losing key personnel. When the final rapid antigen tests (RATs) all returned negative late in the week, there was an enormous sense of relief.

Netball Central chief executive Fran Scholey described McCausland-Durie as a special woman, who excelled in uniting a group. ‘‘She gets the best out of each individual person. That’s because she takes the time to understand and it’s quite a task in itself to try and understand what does this player need in order for me to provide them with the best possible outcomes.

‘‘With any leadership you want to be able to empower other people to do what they do best and that is her to a tee.’’

No sooner had they lifted the title at a packed TSB Arena, the Pulse were already into 2023 mode.

This week they conducted their annual player and coaching reviews, the only small window that worked ahead of Silver Ferns’ trials next week.