Netball: Star lineups to fore in first round

By JULIE ASH

Results went according to predictions in the first round of preliminary games in the national provincial competition.

Two of the three Auckland-based teams racked up big wins, with Auckland-Waitakere thumping Eastern 49-30 in Napier yesterday and Netball North thrashing Counties and Manukau 102-25 at Takapuna on Saturday night.

Waikato also had a comfortable win, beating Bay of Plenty 80-36 in Tauranga.

This weekend is the final of the preliminary games, after which the first division will be split into the top and bottom six for the week-long tournament in Hamilton from September 21-27.

After leading 9-8 after the first quarter and 20-14 at halftime, Auckland-Waitakere dominated the second half to win by 19 points.

Julie Kelman-Poto had a strong game at goal shoot for Auckland-Waitakere, particularly in the second quarter when she missed just two of 11 attempts.

Outclassed by a star-studded Netball North line-up, Counties Manukau put up a brave fight considering three of their most experienced players pulled out of the team on Wednesday, and captain Janine Topia missed the match because of commitments to the New Zealand Maori tournament.

"Verina Konui left because she was pregnant, Sharlene Smith has gone overseas with her husband, and Mary-Jane Araroa pulled out because she is involved with the New Zealand Maori side," said coach Tabitha Beaumont.

"We were always going to chop and change the team before we started the competition, so it wasn't a major thing for us."

As one of the tournament favourites, Yvonne Willering's Netball North were without new recruit Tania Dalton, who was away in Fiji, and Fijian defender Matila Waqanidrola.

With all nine players getting court time Netball North led each quarter, 24-8, 47-16, 73-19 and 102-25.

"It was about us, it was always going to be that way," Willering said.

"You have got to appreciate that they had some late changes in their team so for us it was about concentrating on what we were trying to achieve."

While the point of such games has been questioned, Willering said she had no problems with the format of the championship.

"You have to have some system in place to seed the teams, and this is the system they have gone with ... it is not a problem," she said.

"You are looking towards the week of provincials more than anything else."

This weekend, Counties and Manukau and Netball North travel to Christchurch to play both Canterbury and Tasman, and Auckland Waitakere face Otago and Southland in a double-header at home.