All action contest as Langman likes it

Laura Langman's taste in movies is a reflection of how she plays - she likes plenty of action.

The Silver Fern and Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic centre has certainly been in the thick of the action for her team as they chase a play-off spot in this year's ANZ Championship with spoilers Central Pulse next on the agenda tomorrow night in Tauranga.

In between training, playing and studying for a post-graduate diploma in accounting, 26-year-old Langman finds time to fit in "a couple of movies" and action films are her preference.

"21 Jump Street is my current favourite ... I like a bit of action."

The Magic captain has been in top form, fast through the court, strong around the shooting circle and forming excellent links with her shooters and the team's defensive line-up. At full trot she's hard to beat and she's not afraid to take a chance or have a go.

Like many sportspeople however, Langman is never entirely happy with her own game. She believes she needs to contribute more on defence and describes her attacking game as "always a work in progress".

"I don't want to be one-dimensional, I want to contribute to the total game."

She puts her current good form down to pure enjoyment.

"It feels really good out there, I'm enjoying myself ... Maybe it's just maturity. I'm feeling good and confident, my links with the shooters are probably better than they've ever been, the combination with ... the defensive unit is really strong. You get confidence from that and when you're confident, you're not scared to try things."

Langman hasn't done anything special to improve her game but is paying attention to the detail. "It's about quality, not quantity ... I just try to tick all the boxes and play close attention to rehabilitation [between games]."

That doesn't mean she's a stickler when it comes to her diet though. "I still have my treats ... I love my Starbucks and probably ice-cream is my other weakness."

Those treats don't appear to be harming her performance and Langman is excited about what lies ahead with the top four play-offs anything but decided and four rounds of ordinary play left.

"It's exciting. The pressure is on, every week you've got to turn up - you can't have a bad day. The competition's getting closer every year."

Langman admits that, for Magic, the pressure is even more keenly felt following a bad start to the season which now has them in must-win mode.

"To be serious contenders for the top four, we've got to perform and we've got some big teams to beat. It's certainly exciting but it's edge-of-your-seat stuff."

Tomorrow, after a 19-goal win over Southern Steel last round, Magic face a Pulse side on a high after three consecutive wins. While Magic beat them by 10 last time they met, coach Noeline Taurua expects a more confident Pulse side this time.

The match, at Tauranga's TECT Arena, starts at 7.20pm.

In other Round 11 clashes tomorrow Adelaide Thunderbirds face Queensland Firebirds and West Coast Fever play NSW Swifts while Monday will see Northern Mystics playing Southern Steel.