Netball: Crunch time for fancied Shakers

By RICHARD BOOCK

The playoffs have arrived a week earlier than expected for Wellington national league team the Capital Shakers.

At a time when most of the other title contenders are wondering who they might be playing in the semifinals and where, the Shakers head into Friday night's match against the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic knowing a loss will mean the end of their season.

Beaten by the North Shore-based Force on Sunday, the Shakers are languishing in fifth place with 21 points and face the prospect of winning every game from now to carry off the Cola Cola Cup.

Widely tipped to roar into the finals after beating the highly-fancied Canterbury Flames and defending champions Sting last month, the Shakers have instead finished the round-robin in much the same way Mika Hakkinen finished his Formula One race in Barcelona the other day.

They were almost upset by the unpredictable Auckland Diamonds last Friday night - only winning by three after trailing throughout the first half - and were then overrun 52-64 by the Force, leaving them with a must-win match this weekend against the in-form Magic.

Coach Tanya Dearns conceded yesterday that the Shakers had been the authors of their own misfortune, but insisted they were also capable of re-writing the script in time for the playoffs.

"We have to treat Friday's game as a final," she said. "Simple as that."

"I'm sure the players will respond to the challenge, because they were upset about what happened in Auckland. This is their chance - their only chance - to get things back on track."

The side, who boast arguably the world's most accurate shooter in Irene van Dyk, had the wood on the Force for the first half of the match on Sunday, but began to flounder through the second half - and appeared rattled after a couple of debatable umpiring calls.

On top of that, having had a bye in the fifth round, the Shakers were possibly unsettled by their first double-header of the season, particularly after Dearns was forced to keep her key players on for the full 60 minutes during the dog-fight against the Diamonds.

Whatever the reasons, their problems at the weekend emphasised what a fascinating contest lies in store at Hamilton's Mystery Creek on Saturday night - the inconsistent brilliance of the Shakers up against the cohesion and togetherness of the Magic.

"I haven't seen a lot of the Magic this season, but from what I've heard, Jenny-May Coffin and Victoria Edward are playing out of their skins and were influential figures in their team's win at Invercargill," Dearns said.

"And while they've got some players showing outstanding form, their strength lies in their team-work and combination, which is always difficult to break down."

Unlike last season, when the Shakers were strong at each end of the court but struggled in transition, this year they seem to be better balanced through the mid-court, and more confident on the edge of the circle.

But Dearns said the most exasperating part of the season was the number of different ways the team found to struggle.

"We are better balanced this year and you'd have to say that we look pretty handy in all areas of the court.

"Having said that, we often find a new way to get ourselves behind the eight ball and you might say that's proved a challenge for the coach.

"One week we won't be passing very well, the next we won't be catching. You can't put your finger on any one thing - which has been frustrating at times."

Magic assistant coach Noeline Taurua said yesterday that the impending showdown had meant a temporary end to the close relationship shared by her and Dearns.

The former Shakers captain said the pair, along with Wellington players Gail Parata and Debbie Matoe, had been in constant contact during the season and had shared information and intelligence on rival teams.

The Magic upset the Sting in Invercargill on Sunday after forming a game-plan on the basis of information received from the Shakers, who had earlier knocked over the defending champions at the Queens Wharf Events Centre.

"All the girls I played with have been e-mailing each other about who we're playing and passing on tips," Taurua said.

"That's stopped now, although I was just talking on the phone to Debs [Shakers defender Debbie Matoe] and we were giving each other heaps.

"The thing is, we've got just as much to play for as the Shakers. If we lose, we could miss out altogether as well."