Rāhui lead after big win Young guns lead the charge for Jets in opening game
Rāhui 1 are on top of the premier club netball competition following a big win.
Rāhui beat College Old Girls A1 73-37 at the Arena on Tuesday and lead the standings after four rounds, edging the other unbeaten side, Massey A1, on points differential.
Massey A1 are just behind Rāhui after a 66-52 win over Manukura Red, who are third.
Manukura Black are in fourth spot after a tight 44-32 win over winless Feilding A1, who pick up a bonus point in the close loss.
In the premier reserve competition, College Old Girls A2 beat Rāhui 2 47-41 and Massey A2 beat Feilding A2 42-24.
The score from the game between Feilding Reserves and Massey Old Girls wasn’t provided.
This week’s draw
Sunday: Massey A1 v Rāhui 1, 2pm. Tuesday: Manukura Red vManukura Black, 6pm; COG A1 v Feilding A1, 6pm.
Tuesday: Feilding Reserves vMassey A2, 7.30pm; Massey OG v COG A2, 7.30pm; Feilding A2 v Rāhui 2, 7.30pm.
The Manawatū Jets’ young guns will have to carry the load in the opening round of the National Basketball League while they await reinforcements.
The Jets start the season at home against the Taranaki Mountain Airs at the Ballroom at CET Arena tomorrow, but they are still waiting for the final members of the team to join them.
Forward Shane Temara is still overseas as his team is still playing in the Norwegian league finals. Meanwhile, two American imports are overseas awaiting visas and a third import is yet to be signed.
The two awaiting clearance to come to New Zealand are shooting guard Rob Crawford, a seasoned professionalwho has been playing in Denmark, and power forward Zane Najdawi, who just finished winning the championship in Jordan, where he has also played for the national side.
The third import will also be a big man.
Coach Natu Taufale hoped they should all be on deck by the second or third game and he said they would be competitive this year.
Aside from the four players yet to come, Morrison is the elder statesman in the squad at 25 and is three years older than the next oldest player.
Morrison, a forwardwho impressed as an injury call-up last year, will have to shoulder some of the load against Taranaki this weekend, while guard Pafe Momoisea is another expected to impress. Cooper and brothers Klein and Nathaniel Salmon are others who could play important roles.
Taranaki should be a tough game, having Tall Blacks Tai Wynyard and Richie Rodger in the squad and Tall Blacks coach Pero Cameron as their director of basketball. It will be the Airs’ second game in as many nights after they play the Auckland Tuatara tonight in Auckland.
For the Jets, tomorrow’s game is the first of four home games in a row, with the Southland Sharks, Canterbury Rams and Otago Nuggets all coming to town in the next month.
The Ballroom is open for spectators, but capacity is limited to 600 people because the Central Pulse netball team have a premiership game against the Northern Stars next door in Fly Palmy Arena at the same time.