Netball: Conference system adds an edge to championship

Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic player Jamie-Lee Price. Photo / Alan Gibson

The new conference system in the transtasman league already appears to have heightened domestic rivalries.

The ANZ Championship will this weekend move to the intra-country rounds, which has traditionally seen a lag in interest in the competition. But with league bosses adopting a conference model, domestic clashes have taken on more importance - none more so than Monday night's match-up between the Northern Mystics and Central Pulse in Auckland.

The two sides, who between them have 11 current Silver Ferns and two English internationals, are tipped to fight it out for the top spot in the New Zealand conference. But while the talent on their rosters suggests the Mystics and Pulse should be New Zealand's premier sides, they have been underachievers in recent years.

Both were determined to rid themselves of that tag this year, but they have been unconvincing over the opening few rounds. However, such is the state of the New Zealand conference, the Mystics are still at the top of the table without really showing any compelling form.

The Mystics' best performance of the season was also perhaps their most disappointing. After dominating the Thunderbirds for long stretches of the match in Adelaide last weekend, the Mystics turned in a hapless final two minutes, conceding five unanswered goals to allow the home side to snatch a draw.

Were it not for the late meltdown we could be talking of the Mystics as genuine title contenders this year, but those last two minutes demonstrate the team's frailties.

Mystics midcourter Camilla Lees, who will take on her former team on Monday night, said while last week's draw was disappointing, she believes her side are getting close to achieving the consistency they're after.

The Auckland side showed some brilliant touches on attack last week, with Cathrine Latu, who last week played her first full game of the year after off-season health problems, finding good space under the goal, with help from some good vision outside the circle. Lees said she is pretty happy with the way her combination with Latu and Tutaia is coming along.

"Our attacking end, when we play how we want to play, we can be almost unstoppable. We just need to find that consistency for the whole game. We're still getting to know how each other plays and where we like the ball. So there's a bit more to work on, but it's improving," said Lees.

"The Mystics like to play with flair, and I'm a player that is quite safe with the ball so I hope that I can complement them. I'm not going to suddenly start trying to play the way Cat and Maria do - it's just trying to find a way that we can bring out the best in each other."

Lees is looking forward to playing her first home game for her new side on Monday.

"I can't wait to have the crowd actually cheering for us," she laughed.

The Central Pulse yesterday confirmed this season would be Robyn Broughton's last in charge of the franchise, with the veteran coach to step down at the end of the season. To minimise the disruption at the end of the season, franchise management have already started the search for Broughton's replacement.

"It is crucial that we look long-term at the head coach position to be able to build on the good work that Robyn has already achieved," said Pulse chief executive Carolyn Young.