Netball: Swifts smash Tactix in Sydney

Tactix shooter Jodi Brown was shut down by the Swifts' defence in Sydney last night. Photo / Getty Images

SYDNEY - NSW avenged their only loss to a New Zealand side with a massive 62-45 victory over the Canterbury Tactix in their opening round clash of the transtasman netball competition at the State Sports Centre last night.

Reigning premiers the Swifts picked up where they left off, opening up a four goal lead just minutes into the game and extended it to nine by the first break.

That advantage was never relinquished and a dominant cross-court performance saw the gap extend to 13 at halftime to effectively wrap up the game.

NSW had been caught napping by the Tactix in round two of competition last year when they suffered their only loss to a Kiwi side, going down 50-44.

Catherine Cox (34 from 37) led from the front and was slotting goals from all over the circle and Susan Pratley (17 from 19) gave her captain great support.

Swifts Defender Emma Koster gave a brilliant performance at goal keeper in her run-on debut and teamed with Rebecca Bulley, shut down the ball to Tactix shooter Jodi Brown (25 from 28) and Angela Mitchell (20 from 26).

Swifts captain Cox was ecstatic to have reversed the ledger against the physical Tactix and kick the season off in style with a dominant 17-goal win.

"Last year it was a combination of things, we obviously got hammered and we weren't expecting it, but more so we weren't getting some calls last year," Cox said of her side's six-goal loss the last time the two sides met.

"So we just knew coming out tonight, regardless of how hard we got hit, we had to stay balanced.

"I expect lots of my team so tonight's performance isn't better than expected, I'm just thrilled that everyone had such a great game."

Cox praised goalkeeper Koster's performance against former Silver Fern Brown, who's returned to netball after having a baby.

"The defence end was fantastic, they (Tactix) struggled to get the ball down that end of the court," Cox said.

"Emma, like the rest of us, is a confidence player ... she's only going to get better and better."

NSW coach Julie Fitzgerald gave the nod to defender Samantha May for her first cap at wing defence when she came on to replace Kimberley Smith at halftime.

In other first round results, the Southern Steel defeated Central Pulse 55-46, the Melbourne Vixens swept aside the West Coast Fever 57-44, the Thunderbirds toppled the Firebirds 60-48 and the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic trounced the Northern Mystics 51-38 in front of a sell-out crowd.

- AAP