“That was a bigger gap than anyone anticipated,” Gisborne Netball centre manager Allisa Hall said of Whangara’s heavy defeat by YMP.
Both teams had trained hard in the build-up to tomorrow, and in Whangara’s case, the focus would have been on cutting down the errors, she said,
“It’s semifinals netball now, so it’s anyone’s game.”
YMP coach Ingrid Brown has pointed to the belief and faith that have steered her team to this point, and it is clear they are peaking at the right time.
Brown has developed her squad into a complete team who are primed and ready for the playoffs.
Their speed of play has been a feature in the past three weeks and in Paku-Jane Brown-White they possess arguably the best and certainly most consistent shooter in the competition.
Bronya McMenamin has been a rock in defence while Te Awa Clendon and Renee Wikaire are gifted players who bring sound defence and creative attack to the midcourt.
Whangara coach Ronnie Martin is confident that despite recent results her girls will lift for the playoffs, as they have done in the past.
“We have been here before. The girls know what is at stake.
Whangara’s defensive end of Bayleigh Harrison and Tania Hill has been a tough nut to crack while Hill’s driving through the court from goal defence has set up a lot of attacking play.
Sandee Porter (goal shoot) and Nadia Taare (goal attack) are one of the best attacking combos in the competition.
Taare would have to be one of the best, if not the best, in her position.
Like Brown, Martin has developed the bench and the team continue to be strongly led by the hard-working and vastly experienced Tracey Babbington-Maynard.
If the teams bring their best to the court tomorrow night it will be one heck of a game.
Vital to both sides will be treasuring their own ball and working like demons to steal it off their opponents.
The team who does those things best will advance to the August 20 final.
The first of the bottom-four playoffs to decide fifth to eighth positions is also on tomorrow night, with Farmlands Ngatapa up against Gisborne Girls’ High Senior A at 6pm.
The students had their moments in their nine-goal loss to Ngatapa on Saturday and cannot be written off.
Ngatapa’s greater experience came through in the end but the students worked hard, and there were only two goals in it at halftime.
Ngatapa co-coach Kate Faulks said her girls had their eyes fixed firmly on fifth spot in the competition.
But first things first. Tomorrow night she wants a 100 percent effort from everyone and hunger from the opening whistle.
Girls’ High coach Dianah Foley was rapt with the improvement her girls showed on Saturday.
“We are excited. I think the girls can improve again.”
Taste One High School Old Girls play Lytton Senior A in the other bottom-four game in the Y on Saturday.
The winners of that play the winners of the Ngatapa-Girls’ High game to decide fifth.
