Netball: Coaches' exchange of words adds spice to semi

By RICHARD BOOCK

If the buildup was any gauge, tonight's national netball league semifinal between the Southern Sting and the Capital Shakers should not be lacking in fireworks.

What initially carried the makings of an interesting re-match has snowballed into a far more fascinating affair after a mild disagreement between the respective team coaches.

The defending champions, Sting, were beaten by the Shakers in the round-robin section of the Coca-Cola Cup, but that is about all Robyn Broughton and Tanya Dearns see eye-to-eye on these days.

Broughton promised this week that her Sting lineup would not make as many errors as they did in the narrow 48-51 fourth-round loss, which she attributed to experimentation rather than the quality of the opposition.

"We've come a long way since then, when we were experimenting a bit and they probably took us a little bit by surprise. We probably let Irene [van Dyk] in a bit much."

The comments raised the ire of Shakers coach Dearns, whose fourth seeds face the unenviable task of venturing into the fiercely parochial Stadium Southland and knocking over the defending champions to keep their dream alive.

Dearns said she was intrigued by Broughton's reaction to the upset result in Wellington.

"The gist of what she said was that her side had taken things a bit lightly, that they'd been experimenting and as a consequence had made mistakes. That's not how we saw it.

"You only play as well as your opponent lets you, and I would have thought that's what happened in the round-robin match.

"We had a good game and now we're looking forward to having another good game."

Broughton also questioned the umpiring appointments for tonight's game, describing as "strange" the decision to select the two umpires who controlled the round-robin clash.

Auckland's Joan Hodson and Napier's Pauline Sciascia were yesterday named to control the semifinal, just four weeks after officiating in the match at the Queens Wharf Events Centre.

The Sting, and particularly goal-defence Bernice Mene, were effectively whistled out of the game that night, prompting a perplexed Broughton to ask top Southland umpire Colleen Bond for advice.

"We were heavily penalised [in Wellington], but since then we've looked at our own game and decided we're not going to be heavily penalised again because we're going to do everything in our power to make sure we're not," she said.

Despite last month's boilover, the Shakers headed south yesterday as indisputable underdogs after an inconsistent round-robin campaign, highlighted by last weekend's one-goal win over the Magic to cement their playoffs berth.

One of their key performers tonight is likely to be Shakers captain and veteran wing-attack Gail Parata, who hinted this week that she might retire from the game at the end of this season, in a playing sense at least.

Parata, the oldest player in the competition at 33, was appointed coach of the Wellington provincial team this week.

"I've not decided yet, but possibly," she said. "Obviously it would be lovely to go out on a winning note. I mainly came back to play in this team, so ultimately I've reached a goal already."

"A couple of years ago I had not achieved all that I wanted to, so I suppose I don't want to say 'Yes, this is my final game,' because I am pretty determined to carry on and win it," she said. "I'm just saying it could possibly be, and that's the closest I have ever come to saying I'm retiring."

The second semifinal is between the Waikato/BoP Magic and the Canterbury Flames, in Christchurch on Sunday.

Squads:

Capital Shakers: Gail Parata (capt), Debbie Matoe, Lisa Bogiwalu, Sera Tokakece, Frances Solia, Jodi Te Huna, Irene van Dyk, Tia Rameka, Leonie Matoe, Chrystal Karaka, Anna Andrews, Natasha Bergin.

Southern Sting: Bernice Mene (capt), Donna Loffhagen, Adine Harper, Janine Topia, Megan Hutton, Lesley Nicol, Kirsty Broughton, Kate Newson, Rachel Gill, Leana Du Plooy, Jo Tapper, Reinga Bloxham.