Netball: Pulse relying on the demise of others

Pulse goal shoot Irene Van Dyk. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The Central Pulse can be thankful their Kiwi rivals didn't fare any better than them this weekend.

The battle for three playoff spots in the New Zealand conference in the ANZ Championship will come down to four teams.

Those four are: The conference-leading Mystics, the Magic, the Steel and the Pulse - they all lost during this week's round.

Cheering the loss of a fellow Kiwi side felt wrong for Pulse skipper Katrina Grant but after her team lost 51-48 to the West Coast Fever in Wellington last night, (sun) she was relieved they all tasted defeat.

"We are probably lucky that the other teams this weekend have lost," she said.

The Mystics have 10 points, the Magic are on seven, while the Steel and Pulse are tied on four but the Steel own a better goal percentage.

The Pulse have won only two from seven this season and it's seems crazy that they're so firmly in the playoff race but the revamped competition rules have become more generous around the finals.

"If we just keep winning from now on we'll be fine," Grant said. "We won't need to worry about what everyone else is doing but unfortunately we are not doing that."

Conference fixtures are arguably more important given you forward your own ladder position and dent the hopes of a fellow playoff contender but the Pulse will meet another Australian side next week.

They host the NSW Swifts in the capital on Saturday and Grant said they would benefit from playing an Australian team this weekend as a lead in.

Pulse coach Robyn Broughton, who marked her 100th game in the competition last night, benched veteran shooter Irene van Dyk in favour of Ameliaranne Wells but it didn't influence the result.

West Coast Fever 51 (Caitlin Bassett 41/45, Natalie Medhurst 10/13) Central Pulse 48 (Jodi Brown 31/37 Ameliaranne Wells 17/26) 1Q: 10-12, halftime: 23-23, 3Q: 36-33