ANZ Premiership netball: Northern Stars ready to step it up a level in search for a final place

Samon Nathan of the Stars during the ANZ Premiership round two match between the Magic and the Stars at Bay Park Arena in Tauranga, New Zealand on Saturday March 11, 2023. Photo / Aaron Gillions / www.photosport.nz

ANZ Premiership netball has entered what is known in sporting circles as the “pointy end” of the season.

The Central Pulse and Northern Stars will go head to head on Sunday in an elimination final at Te Rauparaha Arena in Porirua to decide who will take on the Northern Mystics for the title.

Stars wing defence Samon Nathan told Newstalk ZB’s D’Arcy Waldegrave there are some healthy nerves around camp.

“I think a good mix of excited and a little bit of good nerves, we know it’s not going to be an easy challenge but we’re definitely up for it.”

Balancing those nerves will be the key for the Stars and Nathan says her attitude is to recognise the occasion and what is at stake, while being prepared to match the intensity of their opposition.

“I think also it’s good to tell yourself that it’s not actually just another game; that you need to step it up a level. We know they’re going to be coming into this wanting to go to the final but we’ll just match that.”

Nathan told Newstalk ZB that the Stars have been prepping “stressful scenarios” in training this week in a bid to ready the team for finals netball.

“Those moments that we might run into on court; it’s nice to have those run-throughs during the week so we are prepared for anything.”

Without getting too far ahead of themselves, Nathan says the Stars are eager to make it past the Pulse and into next Sunday’s final for a chance to right the wrongs of their final round-robin match, a five-goal loss to the Mystics, who they would play should they make the final.

The Pulse are also coming off the back of a defeat in their round 12 match, going down by nine goals to the Tactix at TSB Arena and Nathan told Newstalk ZB they know the Pulse will be out to bounce back just as much as they are.

“I always feel like we get teams when they’ve had a hard loss, which is good, we want to play teams when they’re at their best and still win when other teams are at their best, so it’s a good challenge for us.”

When the teams last met in Round 8 the Pulse claimed a 64-62 victory over the Stars in Wellington, so fans can expect a nervous fourth quarter.

For finals history reference, the Pulse and Stars have met in two previous ANZ Premiership finals series matches, the 2019 and 2022 grand finals, with the Pulse winning both matches.