Broughton gives defenders the message

It’s not often that Central Pulse coach Robyn Broughton has cause to chide her circle defenders.

But Katrina Grant and Te Huinga Reo Selby-rickit got a gentle tune up yesterday, during the team’s last training session before tonight’s clash with the transTasman netball league-leading Adelaide Thunderbirds.

Broughton was fairly sure Grant and Selby-rickit had played below their usual standards, during the Pulse’s 56-46 loss to the Waikato-bay of Plenty Magic a week ago. The coach became certain of that after watching the Magic beat the Canterbury Tactix 65-42 on Saturday afternoon.

Largely untroubled against the Pulse, Magic goal attack Julianna Naoupu found the Tactix defenders a tougher proposition, thought Broughton. ‘‘We’ve got to work harder on the defence of the shot and the things that you can do to put players off,’’ Broughton said.

Aside from just being sluggish, Broughton felt Grant and SelbyRickit ‘‘didn’t have anything like’’ their usual strong games because of some interesting officiating.

‘‘I think we had 29 penalties against us by one umpire and they had 11 and I’ve had a meeting about it with the umpires because that’s a huge difference,’’ she said.

All up, the Pulse conceded 56 contact penalties to the Magic’s 29.

‘‘I thought that was tough on us and the highest we’ve had so far, so that was disappointing. But the thing is, you can’t grizzle about it.

‘‘That’s just schoolgirl stuff and that’s what I said to the players. You’ve just got to get up and over it.’’

Which neatly sums up where the Pulse are, as a team. A run of three straight losses has them sitting in ninth spot on the ladder and at long odds to beat the Thunderbirds for the first time.

Sadly, there isn’t time for them Trans-tasman Netball League round eight Central Pulse v Adelaide Thunderbirds

TSB Bank Arena and Sky Sport 1, 7.40pm tonight Pulse $4.25, Thunderbirds $1.18

Katrina Grant (c), Te Huinga Reo Selby-rickit, Joline Henry, Millie Lees, Ngarama Milner-olsen, Paula Griffin, Caitlin Thwaites, Victoria Smith, Daya Wiffen, Katarina Cooper, Jamilah Gupwell, Amber Bellringer

Sharni Layton, Rebecca Bulley, Renae Hallinan, Natalie von Bertouch (c), Emily Beaton, Erin Bell, Carla Borrego, Kate Shimmin, Madeleine Proud, Melissa Rowland, Cody Lange, Amehlia Schmidt to sit around feeling sorry for themselves.

They just have to hurry up and get better, particularly attacking end.

The Pulse have done plenty of

at

the things well this season but generally only at one end of the court.

‘‘If you look at our shooting stats and things, the cumulative effect is that they’re not good enough and we lose too much ball on attack. If you add those things up, the quality isn’t there throughout the court,’’ Broughton said.

‘‘That’s all I can say, really. There’s lots of habits there that need to be broken, but they are working hard and are a good bunch.

‘‘I feel quite sorry for them actually, that they do throw away their possession.’’

One thing that encourages Broughton about tonight’s match is that the Thunderbirds, by their own admission, aren’t always that careful with the ball themselves. ‘‘That’s true,’’ Broughton said. ‘‘But they’ve also got [centre] Natalie von Bertouch and I’ve got a great deal of respect for her. She’s not flashy but she does her job very well.’’

The Pulse should also take heart from the Northern Mystics’ 49-45 win over the Melbourne Vixens yesterday.

The Mystics stay third, with the Vixens retaining second spot on goal difference.

The New South Wales Swifts beat the West Coast Fever 45-40 in yesterday afternoon’s other game.