It's now or never in march of Magic

Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic are entering a crucial phase in their 2012 campaign.

After a much needed four-win streak in the ANZ Championship, the Magic had the bye last week and are now building to some of their toughest games.

Magic will play Southern Steel on Monday in Hamilton, followed by Central Pulse the following Sunday in Tauranga, ahead of games against Northern Mystics, Adelaide Thunderbirds and Queensland Firebirds.

It's a tight race in the top half of the competition and Magic sit just outside that, clinging to sixth position and not entirely out of the playoffs running - but in danger of being so should they lose any more games.

"We are in a crucial phase right now but, to be honest, after losing the first four games we've been in critical mode since round five," Magic coach Noeline Taurua said.

"Going on previous years, if you lose four games you can still get through to the playoffs but if you lose five you lose control and it comes down to the results of other games and goal differential. Right now we are still in control."

Taurua acknowledged the Steel and Pulse were both potential spoilers and had perhaps been a little unlucky with some good performances to date. Steel have just two wins from nine games but Pulse have four wins.

"The good thing for us is that we play both those teams at home, so that's a bit of an advantage ... but they won't be easy," Taurua said.

The Magic would go into each upcoming game with the same philosophy as always - to improve on the previous performance.

Having the bye last week proved fortunate for the Magic after on-form centre Laura Langman went over on an ankle and with defender Casey Williams and midcourter Jess Tuki still recovering from injury.

"Laura's all good now. She gave her ankle a big tweak so it was great for us to go into a bye ... it's given players' injuries a bit more time to heal," Taurua said.

Given her solid performances in recent weeks filling in for Tuki at wing defence, Elias Shadrock will get the nod to start on Monday.

"She's grown week to week, both in what she's been putting out on court and generally ... we always knew she was a good leader and she's really starting to show that which is fantastic," said Taurua.

"We also need stability in our line-up. The benefits of that have been showing in the last few rounds."

Discipline would be key against Steel, she said.

"Our overall goal to improve each game and all do our jobs doesn't change much from week to week but you have to acknowledge the opposition's style of play, recognise that while still keeping your own structure.

"We will need to be very disciplined and clinical to maintain that structure against Steel, both on attack and defence. We've started to see that happening in games ahead of our bye so we need to keep that momentum going."

The Magic play Steel at the Claudelands Arena in Hamilton at 7.40pm om Monday.

In other round 10 games, the Queensland Firebirds face NSW Swifts, Melbourne Vixens play Adelaide Thunderbirds and Canterbury Tactix are up against Central Pulse, all on Sunday. The Northern Mystics and West Coast Fever have the bye.

The Mystics sit at the top of the table with 14 points, followed by the Thunderbirds, Vixens and Swifts on 12, Firebirds on 10, Magic and Pulse on 8, Steel and Fever on 4 and Tactix on 2.