Ferns need a leader, Pulse need consistency
With just seven rounds left, every win is becoming critical in the race for top three finals spots in the ANZ Premiership.
Brendon Egan and Andrew Voerman look at the key talking points ahead of round nine.
Who should be Silver Ferns’ captain?
The Silver Ferns are on the hunt for a new captain, albeit likely a shortterm one, with Ameliaranne Ekenasio expecting her second child in November.
Ekenasio has indicated she’d like to return to the court in 2022 with the Commonwealth Games next July-August. So who captains the Ferns later this year?
Jane Watson must be considered the frontrunner. She’s the Ferns’ vice-captain, along with Gina Crampton, leads her premiership side the Tactix, and is an automatic selection in the starting seven.
A vocal figure on court, who also leads by her actions, Watson makes a lot of sense.
Crampton was the on-court captain in the second Constellation Cup test in March with Ekenasio sidelined, and will be in consideration. Maia Wilson (Stars), Sulu Fitzpatrick (Mystics) and Sam Winders (Magic), all captain their premiership teams, but the last named two only cemented a Ferns starting spot in the Constellation Cup. (BE)
Any Ferns bolters emerging?
Dame Noeline Taurua and the selectors should remain loyal to the players, who performed so strongly in the Constellation Cup success in March.
Unavailabilities in the shooting and defensive end could open the door with Mystics’ goal shoot Grace Nweke, the competition’s leading goalscorer and Stuff MVP leader, staking a strong claim for the backup goal shoot berth behind Wilson.
Conditioning standards could have the final say for several fringe performers, so it is imperative they hit the targets. Elle Temu has impressed defensively for the Stars, but a Silver Ferns development squad spot is probably more realistic.
In the midcourt, Peta Toeava (Mystics) and Kate Heffernan (Steel) have been standouts, but might be competing against Whitney Souness and Maddy Gordon at their respective positions, to force their way in. That could be difficult. (BE)
Final fixtures
Enjoy this round’s matchups while you can, because after this weekend, we won’t be seeing any of them again unless the Stars and the Pulse, or the Steel and the Tactix, or the Magic and the Mystics (in a very unlikely scenario) meet in the finals. These are the third meetings between these sides, with all six teams picking up a win apiece so far, to add an extra edge. But it is somewhat frustrating they are coming just a week after we saw some of the matchups – MysticsStars, Tactix-Pulse, and Steel-Magic for the first time.
When the fixture list gets out of whack like that, the ladder can be misleading, and it would be easier to follow if everyone played each other the first time, then everyone played each other the second time, and so on, (AV)
Puzzling Pulse
The Pulse have made a good fist of life without Ekenasio and Katrina Rore, even if they haven’t got the results to show for it. They’ve picked up bonus points for close losses in four of their five losses, but it’s their wins which tell the oddest tale.
Two were against the Magic, who have only won once, back in round one, but the other was against the top-of-the-table Stars, who gave them a thumping the first time around, before losing heavily a fortnight ago. That means the Pulse have beaten the worst team and the best team – who they face again tomorrow – but none of the three in between. (AV)
Game of the round?
There’s several appealing games, but the Stars-Pulse clash has the makings of a ripper.
The Pulse handed the Stars a surprise home loss three weeks ago, their first loss of the season. Over the past three games, the Stars, who started 5-0, haven’t been at their best, losing two games and needing to rally from eight goals down to beat the Tactix in extra time. The Stars are too talented team to struggle for long. Expect a rebound performance in front of their home fans at Pulman Arena.