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Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
'Pretty special': Third-time lucky for the title-winning Tactix
By Bridget Tunnicliffe of RNZ Nothing pleased Tactix coach Donna Wilkins more than seeing her veteran players win their first ANZ Premiership title in the red dress in Auckland on Sunday night. The Mainland Tactix won netball's ANZ Premiership for the first time by stunning the Northern Mystics 58-46 in the grand final. For Jane Watson, Te Paea Selby-Rickit, Erikana Pedersen, and Ellie Bird - they had suffered two heart-breaking grand final losses in 2020 and 2021. They came the closest in 2021, losing by just two goals to the Mystics. By then Karin Burger had joined the side and had well and truly become a stalwart of the team. Wilkins said the thought of winning an elusive title was what kept bringing some of the older players back. "It's pretty special… we don't know who's going to come back next year, our focus has been on finals. For some of those old heads and experienced ones that keep coming back because they want to win a championship, that's what I'm most proud of now they've got it," Wilkins said. Tactix captain Pedersen embraced Selby-Rickit straight after the game. "She just said that she felt relief - was her first emotion and it is a bit like that because I know we deserved to be here and deserved to win, we've worked so hard. "We had a lot of people doubting us, you know as they should, we came to Mystics territory, they were number one but we knew we could do it, we had the full belief, we've trained our butts off. The last few weeks in particular our intensity at trainings have been unreal… we've been coming out of them exhausted." Tactix shooter Ellie Bird capped off a superb season by shooting 50 from her 53 attempts, and even pulled off two intercepts. Just two weeks prior, the Mystics had beaten the Tactix by 14 goals to win the minor premiership and advance straight to a home grand final. Everything was stacked against them - the Mystics have won every grand final they have appeared in, and six of the eight grand finals had been won by the team who claimed the minor premiership. But the Tactix showed a lot of fight when they beat the Pulse in the elimination final and Wilkins philosophy? "Finals netball is getting into it and giving yourself a chance." The former Silver Ferns defensive pairing of Burger and Watson picked up where they left off from that Pulse game. Watson unsettled Australian import shooter Donnell Wallam, who had not looked flustered all season. "They are big game players, they are experienced, they are used to playing against tall shooters. I told them they needed to get touches early and Jane did right from the get-go so it made it a little bit doubtful for them to just let rip and throw that ball in," Wilkins said. "They were doing one or two more passes before they would launch it in, whereas a couple of weeks ago it was just 'catch-boom', so we needed to nullify that connection between Peta [Toeava] and Donnell and I think we did a good job of that. "And because we are so clinical in looking after our own possession off our centre pass, even if teams hit a couple of two point shots, they don't make headway and we showed that on Monday night." Once again Wilkins stuck with her starting seven, apart from a brief period where Pedersen had to come off the court due to cramping. "Everything was going, my toes, my calves, my quads, my hips… but we knew we needed to prepare for a tough game, I think Teeps [Selby-Rickit] started cramping as well," Pedersen said. Despite the cloud hanging over the domestic competition, with Netball New Zealand still trying to pin down a broadcast deal for 2026, Wilkins said none of that was a distraction. "We had an opportunity to win a championship, that's been our focus, it's been about us." She was looking forward to taking the trophy to Christchurch. The Tactix and their National League predecessors, the Canterbury Flames, had not won a title since the introduction of franchise netball in 1998. The Flames played in four Coca-Cola Cup/National Bank Cup finals but lost all four to the Southern Sting. "It's a long time coming, enjoy just being together as a team and enjoy the moment with our family and friends and we'll worry about next year next week," Wilkins said. The Tactix may look a little different next year. Bird is off to Australia and doesn't plan on coming back for another season. It remains to be seen whether the likes of Pedersen and Watson might call it a day. Selby-Rickit had one of her finest seasons and the 33-year-old may well be on the radar of an Australian team. Mentor with her To guide the Tactix to the title in her first season as head coach is a dream start to Wilkins' elite coaching career. Pedersen was full of praise for the former Silver Fern and Tall Fern. "Donna's been in our position, she knows what it's like to play in high pressure matches. She's very disciplined in the way that we play on attack but she's just brought this winning mentality, like even warm up games, she's is all about winning and I love that because I think that's what our Tactix team needed." Competitive, clinical with possession, and sticking with a starting seven are all traits associated with the late great Robyn Broughton, one of New Zealand's most successful netball coaches. Broughton became an icon of Southland netball during her long tenure with the Southern Sting, where she was head coach from 1998-2007, winning a record seven Coca Cola/National Bank Cup titles during that time. Wilkins played many seasons under Broughton, as did Tactix assistant coach Te Huinga Selby-Rickit. When Wilkins was asked what the legendary coach would have made of it, she shared that she treasures a photo of her old friend. "Well I actually brought [the photo of] Robbie with me, I normally talk to her before we play our home games but this week I thought I better take it with me and I think it might have helped. She's always there, God she coached me and Hu [Te Huinga Selby-Rickit] and a lot of the players, it's pretty special," an emotional Wilkins said. Mystics not blindsided The Mystics were denied a historic three-peat and were denied a chance to play their best netball. Despite easily beating the Tactix two weeks prior, Mystics coach Tia Winikerei said they knew the visitors were going to bring some venom. "When you get beaten like that and you're a quality side like they are, you come back fierce and you want to win. "Tactix came out very very strong and we didn't cope with that very well… we let them over power us, we actually just didn't execute what we should have in that first quarter and that hurt us for the rest of the game. "I didn't see any momentum shifts throughout the game and so the story of the first quarter was almost the story of the whole game." Mystics captain Michaela Sokolich-Beatson said they were not blindsided - "They did exactly what we thought they were going to do." The Tactix have now become the fourth franchise to win the title, since the competition began in 2017. The Steel have won twice, and the Pulse and Mystics three times each.
NZ Herald
6 days ago
- Sport
- NZ Herald
ANZ Premiership: Hawke's Bay netballer and Mainland Tactix legend Ellie Bird to play final game for club in grand final
'When we are firing, we are firing.' Hawke's Bay-raised Ellie Bird (right) has been in red-hot form for the Mainland Tactix this season. Photo / Photosport The 32-year-old is moving to Melbourne next month, where her focus will be on building a new wellness business. 'It would be the cherry on top in terms of closure of this chapter in my life,' Bird said of finally winning the title. 'It would mean a lot.' Plenty of people in Hawke's Bay will be cheering on Bird and the Tactix on Sunday. Bird grew up on a farm near Waipukurau and played netball for her local primary, St Joseph's School. She went on to attend Central Hawke's Bay College and Iona College and played a couple of seasons for Hastings High School Old Girls netball club before heading off to Wellington and eventually Christchurch. Her older brother, Dominic Bird, is a former All Black and her father still lives in Hawke's Bay, in Twyford. Bird retired from professional netball in 2023, but the 1.96m goal shoot was sent an SOS to rejoin the Tactix in 2024. The last two seasons have been the most enjoyable of her career, she said. 'I retired two years ago and then got pulled back in. 'During that transition, I went from a really pressured approach in netball – I was putting so much pressure on myself – to coming back in and taking a lot more of an enjoyment approach. 'Obviously still doing my best and wanting to win, but not caring so much because it is just a game. 'The most important thing is enjoyment, because if you are not enjoying it, why are you doing it?' Bird said 'being out there with teammates that I absolutely love' had also been amazing. She said to play her final game alongside some long-standing teammates was going to be pretty special, including the likes of Erikana Pedersen, Te Paea Selby-Rickit, Jane Watson and Karin Burger. The ANZ Premiership grand final will be held at Trusts Arena in Auckland at 4pm on Sunday, between the Mainland Tactix and the Northern Mystics.
RNZ News
6 days ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
Netball's ANZ Premiership is not delivering says former Silver Fern
Kelly Jackson of the Central Pulse and Ellie Bird of the Tactix tussle for the ball, 2025. Photo: © Photosport Ltd 2025 Kelly Jackson of the Central Pulse and Ellie Bird of the Tactix tussle for the ball, 2025. Photo: © Photosport Ltd 2025 Former Silver Fern Margaret Foster believes the ANZ Premiership has failed to produce the improvements to the game that Netball New Zealand had hoped for and is backing the change to the player eligibility rule. This week Netball New Zealand announced it had updated the Silver Ferns' eligibility criteria , paving the way for greater flexibility for athletes who wish to play overseas. That means the likes of goal shoot Grace Nweke, who has been playing for the New South Wales Swifts in the Australian League, could become available for selection for the Ferns this year. Until now players had to be playing in New Zealand to be considered for selection for the national side. "I get what they (Netball New Zealand) hoped to achieve to keep them all back here but no it (ANZ Premiership) is not delivering," Foster told RNZ. While it would be nice to have all of New Zealand's top athletes playing here, Foster said it was unrealistic with overseas clubs and competitions offering more money. "We're not in a privileged position where we're this massive professional sport where athletes are earning lots of money. "You want to have your best players available in your calendar year, that's why football do it well. "Regardless of where you are playing your netball you need to have your best athletes available." The Trans-Tasman Netball League ran for nine years between 2008 and 2016. Foster, who also coached in that competition, believed the game and therefore quality of the play here would improve by rejoining the Australian competition. "We definitely need to get back into the top league in the world which is the one based in Australia." Magic's Head Coach Noeline Taurua (R) and Assistant Coach Margaret Foster. 2011. Photo: Anthony Au-Yeung / PHOTOSPORT Also this week, Silver Ferns captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio announced she would miss this year's internationals . Foster said Silver Ferns coach Dame Noeline Taurua would be relieved that Ekenasio's decision may be offset by the possible return of Nweke to the Ferns' attacking circle. "A hundred percent thank goodness. Having the two power houses out that would be devastating for the Silver Ferns programme. "But knowing that the likes of a Grace who is playing over there in a tougher competition and playing against the top players in the world, that can only bode well for us." The Silver Ferns would play a series against South Africa in September, before the Constellation Cup series with Australia in October. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
20-07-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Netball: New 'mindset' sees Tactix get a crack at elusive title
The Tactix celebrate. Photo: Photosport The Tactix have earnt themselves their first grand final berth since 2021 after beating the Pulse 57-52 in last night's elimination final in Christchurch. They will meet the ANZ Premiership defending champion Mystics, the team that beat them by two goals in that 2021 final. And they believe Sunday's gutsy victory over the Pulse shows they are capable of winning a maiden title, which has been so elusive for the franchise. The Pulse had far better flow on attack than the home side to start with and led 14-10 after the first quarter. They pushed that lead out to six goals part way through the second quarter but the Tactix started to consolidate. When Silver Ferns defender Karin Burger shifted to goal defence, after starting at wing defence, the Tactix defensive end started to slow down ball into Pulse shooter Amelia Walmsley. Maddy Gordon at wing attack was able to fire balls at will into Walmsley early on. Walmsley, who has had a tremendous season, looked on track to score 50-plus goals, having put up 29 in just the first half. But it was Tactix goal shoot Ellie Bird, who ended the game as the highest scorer, with 47. The veteran shooter became a better target as the game went on and Tactix coach Donna Wilkins said Bird just gained more confidence. "I think at times we can talk ourselves out of something and you know look she's playing against Kelly [Jackson] right so you know that's a pretty tough ask and she probably hasn't in the past performed as good as she could against Kelly but today she did. She was a bit scratchy to start with but by gosh she was awesome." Wilkins said. When Tactix goal attack Te Paea Selby-Rickit nailed a Super Shot on the halftime buzzer to get the home side within four, it also signalled a momentum shift. During the third quarter the Tactix defensive end really turned it on and disrupted the Pulse, which saw the home side win the period 15-10. Amelia Walmsley and Jane Watson (right) Photo: / John Davidson Captain Erikana Pedersen, playing in her 100th match for the Tactix, said the finals pressure was palpable. "And we felt that ... but I thought as cliché as it sounds it was literally a game of two halves. I thought we came out really strongly, we looked after our centre pass, the defence got us ball and we scored off it as well which really lifted us," Pedersen said. It took the Pulse 3.5 minutes to score in the final quarter. Amorangi Malesala came on at GA for the super shot period and nailed three in the dying minutes but it was too little too late. The Pulse made countless changes throughout the match in complete contrast to the Tactix, who finished with the same seven on court. It was a disappointing loss for the Pulse, who suffered a heartbreaking one goal loss in last year's grand final. "Disruptive" was the term used to describe their season as the side dealt with injury and illness. Perhaps the biggest blow was the loss of tenacious goal defence Parris Mason, due to a nasty neck injury suffered in round eight. Given that adversity, finishing third in the competition was not a bad effort. Wilkins acknowledged that the Tactix looked like a different side to the one that lost 56-70 to the Mystics in Auckland just a week ago. "And we didn't get a lot of ball last week and it was probably one of our worst performances collectively. But you learn more from losses and we had a really good week training, we worked on what we needed to work on and I think we brought that." Donna Wilkins Photo: © Photosport Ltd 2025 Wilkins is in her first year as a head coach in the domestic league. The former Silver Fern and Tall Fern was a no-nonsense player in her day. Pedersen said there had definitely been a shift in the Tactix this year, and that was reflected in how they had been able to lift themselves after a loss. "I think our mentality has shifted and Donna this year has probably brought that ruthless mindset, growth mindset always wanting to be better. As a collective I thought we trained our butts off this week, we were coming off trainings exhausted but we knew that we needed to do that to prepare for this game because it was exhausting on the court. "I just love Donna's passion, you come into a huddle, you see that she wants it just as badly as we do. And there's nothing that gives up more confidence when you see a coach like that really lead us with confidence and passion. "I think that game was the best preparation we could have got leading into the final next week." The Tactix were runners up in 2020 and 2021. Wilkins said there was no reason they couldn't lift the title for the first time. "Just being in the final and having a chance ... we've given ourselves an opportunity, probably nobody will pick us ... but just going up there with nothing to lose. We know we can play better than last week [against the Mystics] and look out if we do get it all right on the night," Wilkins said. She said it was easy being around a group of people who wanted to perform and work hard. "Just giving those opportunities to people that want to play. You know we've got the experienced ones that are leading by example and working their butts off every game, you look at Te Paea and her workrate this year alone. "Erikana coming back from injury but managing to play every game so she can tick off that 100. Holly [Mather] coming in first year contract, she's been up and down but all she wanted today was to get ball and she got that one so the lift that she's going to get from that performance today to go into the final is massive." The Tactix and Mystics meet in the grand final on Sunday at 4pm in Auckland. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Scoop
Tactix Still In Finals Hunt After Loss To Mystics
After winning all of their home games, the VIP Frame and Trusses Tactix hoped to come out on top in their Sunday showdown against the Northern Mystics in Auckland, but unfortunately the Tactix fell 70-56, making it their third loss out of ten games in the ANZ Premiership. The North / South Island derby played out in Auckland on Sunday with the top-of-the-table Mystics progressing straight to a home final, while the Tactix will play the Central Pulse in the elimination final decider, on Sunday 20 July at Wolfbrook Arena, Christchurch. The Tactix will still be hoping to bring a South Island presence to the grand final, making it the first time in four years that the franchise has had a chance to chase the championship, which would see them meet the Mystics for the third time in the season. When the teams met in Round Four the Tactix won 61-50 in Rangiora, but this time, the Mystics overpowered the visitors who needed to win by six points or more. Sunday's game saw head coach Donna Wilkins lead her team valiantly in their final effort, with the experience of Ellie Bird, Te Paea Selby-Rickit, Erikana Pedersen, Karin Burger and Jane Watson shining through while Parris Petera, Holly Mather, Paris Lokotui, Charli Fidler and Martina Salmon showed grit and determination beyond their years. The team sought consistency outside the circle - taking time to feed the ball down the court, but five general play turnovers in the first quarter provided the Mystics with an early four point lead at quarter time, which the Tactix could not recover. As the Tactix settled into the game, they had to fight for the intercepts and to protect possession in order to claw back the points, but the cumulative pressure of the Mystics was too much for the visitors as the lead extended to eight points by half time, gaining close to 30 turnovers on the Tactix. Watson, Lokotui and Burger fought hard to shut down Mystics' attack. Coach Donna Wilkins chose to make on-court changes to shake up the team, with Ellie Bird and Holly Mather leaving the court in favour of Martina Salmon and Parris Petera entering the game as a fresh presence. Selby-Rickit made strides on attack, blocking her Mystics opponents from the centre pass, and was a dominant presence in the shooting circle, taking the Tactix' first two-point shot since Round 8. Debutant Josie Seymour, daughter of ex-Silver Fern and Tactix legacy player Julie Seymour, made her first on-court appearance for the Tactix this season, having joined the team from the National Netball League for the final two games of the season. The Tactix now prepare to take on the Pulse in the elimination final at Wolfbrook Arena, 7:30pm Sunday July 20. If the Tactix beat the Pulse in the elimination final, they will progress to playing the Mystics in the grand final at The Trust Arena in Auckland. Elimination final tickets will be available through Ticketmaster from 2pm Thursday July 17, with tickets starting from $17.80 for youths (2-18 years) and $33.80 for adults, while family packages (two adults, two youths) will start from $83.20.
