Waikohu 1 goalshooter Marcia Beale was on target with this shot in last year's Gisborne Premier Grade grand final. It put her team in front against YMP and they stayed there. Waikohu's 2025 campaign started with a win in midweek games. Photo / Murray Robertson
Waikohu 1 goalshooter Marcia Beale was on target with this shot in last year's Gisborne Premier Grade grand final. It put her team in front against YMP and they stayed there. Waikohu's 2025 campaign started with a win in midweek games. Photo / Murray Robertson
Defending champions Waikohu look to be the real deal again after giving High School Old Girls a 12-goal welcome back defeat in Premier Grade netball on Wednesday night.
Claydens Waikohu (1) won their season-opening clash 53-41 at the YMCA while Gisborne Girls’ High Senior A also made a victorious startto their campaign, coming from behind at halftime to beat Whāngārā Old Girls 57-51.
Impressive netball skills were on display in both midweek games.
The Girls’ High-Whāngārā match-up was very much one of two different halves.
Whāngārā led 14-9 after the first break and 26-22 at halftime.
But the students made several goal-scoring runs in the third quarter to go into the break a goal in front.
Once the students took the lead, their confidence increased and they carried that momentum into the last quarter.
Both teams made changes, working new players in with last year’s more experienced players and showing that the understanding between teammates is developing nicely.
Girls’ High’s links worked especially well in the last quarter. They moved the ball at speed through the court and into their shooters to steadily extend their lead and ultimately deny Whāngārā a losing bonus point (for losing by 5 goals or less).
Waikohu led Taste One HSOG - back in the Premier fold after a couple of seasons away - all the way.
They were 15-9 up after the first quarter, 28-19 ahead at halftime and 39-31 in front by the third-quarter break.
Waikohu fans will be hoping for more of the same 2024 Premier Grade grand final heroics in the YMCA this season. Their reigning champion team started well on Wednesday night with a good win over High School Old Girls. Photo / Murray Robertson
However, it was a closer game than the final score suggested and HSOG could take positives from it, including winning the third quarter by a goal.
Both teams’ players worked together well. They moved the ball speedily through the court and into the attacking end, while their defenders pressured their opposition into making errors.
Some of the HSOG players were members of Waikohu’s championship-winning team, but have returned to the Blues camp.
Waikohu showed they have gained capable new players to replace them.
Saturday’s Premier action in the Y starts at 9am with Waikohu back in action against Old Girls Whāngārā.
Wednesday’s win showed Waikohu’s new players have quickly settled in and they will be confident of making it two from two.
Old Girls Whāngārā gave glimpses of good play in their first outing last weekend - a 65-36 loss to Horouta Gold - but they will need everyone working together for the full hour to have any chance of upstaging Waikohu.
