Gladstone All Blacks coach Sandra McNab is unfazed by her team's mixed form in Netball Wairarapa's premier one competition.
Two wins have been followed by two losses and then another win, leaving them in fifth equal position on the points table, eight points adrift of unbeaten Harcourts No.1.
The latest success, a
one-goal victory over previously unbeaten Celtic, did, however, indicate that Gladstone All Blacks are strong contenders for a place amongst the top six teams who will contest the championship proper and McNab believes they are on target to do exactly that.
"Making the top six is the first priority?it's the same for all the teams," she said. "It's then that you need to chalk up wins on a consistent basis."
McNab considers her team's current inconsistency is more due to them developing their skills levels than anything else.
"They are all very keen to learn and it's just a matter of taking one thing at a time," she said. "It can be hard for players to change old habits but we're getting there."
McNab is finding, however, that encouraging players to reach their true potential can be a frustrating business because in her view umpires were not always willing to clamp down on "intimidatory rough edge" play.
"It's a personal opinion but if we want to improve the standard of netball here we need to do everything we can to ensure the skill factor is the most important element," she said.
"And the umpires have a big part to play in that respect."
Reflecting on her team's win over Celtic, McNab said her side had probably made harder work of it than they should have with only a solitary goal separating the two teams after Gladstone All Blacks had led by 10 goals at one stage.
"We were pretty much in control early on but we struggled to keep our focus towards the end and just got there,' she said.
McNab believes that while defending champions Harcourts No.1 are obviously the team to beat any side which makes the top six would be capable of taking the title.
"I certainly don't think you can say that one team is so much better than the others?it's a lot more even than that,' she said.
The Gladstone All Blacks squad is: Emma Clinton-Baker, Jo Booth, Abby Arcus, Jacqui Wadham, Vicki Mcleod, Kate Anderson, Kim Whiteman, Kate Foxcroft, Lisa Manihera, Celia Donaldson.
