Netball: Sting will be hard to dethrone

The smart money is on South Island teams fighting out the national league final - just as they have since it began, writes JULIE ASH.


Don't be surprised if the South Island maintains its dominance when the national league kicks off this weekend.

Since the birth of the competition in 1998, the final has been always been between South Island teams.

The Otago Rebels claimed the first title, beating the Southern Sting.

The Sting got their hands on the cup a year later and haven't let go since - beating the Rebels in 1999 and the Canterbury Flames in 2000 and 2001.

With the Canterbury Flames and the Sting as hot favourites in this year's newly named National Bank Cup, another South Island showdown appears to be looming in early June.

Sting coach Robyn Broughton isn't exactly sure why the south has been so successful in the past.

"I guess it is just professionalism. We get the job done," she said.

"We are probably a lot more confident now and know we can compete with the bigger centres."

With Silver Ferns Donna Loffhagen, Adine Harper, Lesley Nicol and ex-Silver Fern captain Bernice Mene in their ranks, it is easy to see why the Sting are so good.

But their success hasn't come from having a strong team on paper.

"I think unity is a big part of it. The whole team has to adapt to everyone else's strengths and weaknesses," said Broughton.

Undoubtedly the most popular team in the competition, their venue, Stadium Southland, is already sold out for the entire cup season.

"They love their netball and the girls are part of the sport culture here.

"It puts a bit of pressure on us as we don't want to have a bad one in our own stadium."

But the Sting have had a few "bad ones" in their stadium too - one that springs to mind is last year's two-goal loss to the Magic in the round robin competition.

It is "silly little" defeats like that which Broughton wants to eliminate.

"As the top team in the competition, we have been beaten by the bottom team.

"I have learned not to underestimate anyone," she said.

The Flames have finished second to the Sting in the last two league finals - losing by just three goals on both occasions.

With six Silver Ferns in their side, the Flames will be hoping this is the year they take the sting out of the southerners.

Also out to topple the Sting are the Force - a team who have always been strong on paper but have never fired.

Force coach Maria Lynch believes she may have worked out why.

"We have always had a strong core of players, but our opposition have always been able to work out our lineup. This time they will be second-guessing.

"We have a very strong defensive end ... but we have a lot of different combinations on court."

Lynch is well aware her strongest opposition will come from the deep south.

"The Sting always have a lot of name players in there, they have a lot of money and they encourage players to go down there. Not many of their players are homegrown.

"In Auckland we have three teams. If we could have one team in the area I would think it would be quite a dominant team."

The other two sides in the running for a top-four spot are the Capital Shakers and the Bay of Plenty Magic.

Auckland/Waitakere Diamonds coach Georgina Salter said after last season her side was in need of another defender, a strong shooter and more stability in the mid-court.

In comes 1.89m defender Katie Fay, a former New Zealand academy squad member, 1.88m national basketball representative Sally Farmer and former Silver Fern goal shoot Leonie Leaver.

Add former Silver Fern centre Anna Rowberry and promising young defender Rachel Rasmussen, into the mix and the Diamonds don't look too bad.

It will be hard for them to win a top-four spot, but if they could upset a couple of the top teams and beat the likes of the Flyers, Cometz, or Rebels, they might have a chance.

After a two-year stint with the Sting, Janine Topia's return to Auckland is a welcome one for the Counties Manukau Cometz.

She is joined in the side by a group of up-and-coming players headed by New Zealand academy squad members Nicolette Ropati and Allison Toi.

The semifinals are on June 1-2 and the final on June 8.