Latest news with #Malesala
Scoop
6 days ago
- Sport
- Scoop
Pulse Shooter Thriving In New-Found Home
Grateful for the lifeline, shooter Amorangi Malesala is all set to inject her special skill-set in a key outing for Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse in their final regular season match of the ANZ Premiership netball league. Needing a win to stitch up third spot and a place in the Finals Series, the Pulse come up against the Magic in Tauranga on Saturday, Malesala having highlighted the impetus she can provide following the introduction of new rules this season. In particular, the two-point shot rule, which comes into effect for the final five minutes of each quarter, and which is tailor-made for the play-making Malesala. Drafted in to the Pulse as an injury replacement ahead of the season, Malesala, 26, is a slick ball-handling creator, while throughout her career she has also been totally comfortable shooting from range. That adds an extra dynamic up her sleeve for the all-import super shot phases of the game. Ice cool under the hoop, Malesala feels no extra pressure with the introduction of the two-point shot, the situation at the time dictating how it is played out. ``I know what I'm capable of, that's been my style of play for a while now but it also comes down to shot selection,'' she said. ``If we're only up by two and even if I am in the position to shoot a two, it's best to back the ones until you get to a comfortable phase where you can actually start putting away the twos. ``The last thing I want is to keep going for twos and missing which gives the opposition opportunities, so it's being aware of when to put up the twos. But I feel like I've found that middle ground of being selective on what type of shots to put up.'' The Magic have two dab-hand two-point shooters of their own and on their day are a real threat. ``We've seen moments where they've closed the gap because of their two-point shot, so I think it's important for us to make sure we start strongly and try to get on top of them before the 10-minute mark,'' Malesala said. ``Otherwise, if we leave it to the last five minutes (super shot phase), Ameliaranne (Ekenasio) and Saviour (Tui) are very capable two-point shooters, so we have to create moments to get ahead ourselves. ``They're a good side. They have a few Silver Ferns in there and are a tight-knit team, so you can't overlook that, and we have to find ways to exploit them.'' Malesala radiates real joy when she's playing, a passion for the contest and plenty of positive energy. She's quickly been adopted as a fan favourite by the large home crowds the team draws to TSB Arena in Wellington and is lapping it up. ``I don't take any opportunity for granted, so I just try to play freely and I really just enjoy expressing myself,'' she said. ``If I was to reflect on a few years ago when I played for the Stars and playing in front of the TSB crowd, there was a feeling that you'd certainly want them on your side. So, to be able to be in the Pulse experiencing that home crowd is pretty special and they always give me plenty of support which is cool…..and advice of when to shoot.'' Coach Anna Andrews-Tasola has some positive selection headaches with the return of midcourters Fa'amu Ioane, from illness, and Whitney Souness, from concussion. Shooter Tiana Metuarau remains under a cloud with a muscle strain while defender Parris Mason, who is undergoing treatment for a neck injury, will not be available. Malesala will complete an eventful year when she's admitted to the bar in November and become a qualified lawyer. In a special family ceremony, Malesala will join sister Kimiora when the pair are admitted to the bar together. ``It is pretty special but it's also been pretty tough as well,'' she said. ``I have to acknowledge the College of Law for being very patient with me in giving me extensions here and there and working closely with me to ensure that I could balance netball and study.'' Well-travelled during her netball career, South Auckland remains Malesala's spiritual home where her upbringing and culture play an important role in her life, lending to her also being fluent in three languages. ``I'm Māori-Samoan, so I'm fluent in Te Reo Māori and I also grew up speaking Samoan at home,'' she said. ``It's really important for me to be grounded in my culture and I try to give my all to both, and it's important for me, to carry that wherever I go.''
Scoop
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Scoop
Malesala And Simpson Extend Their Time With Pulse
Shooter Amorangi Malesala and Australian midcourter Gabi Simpson will remain with Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse for the rest of the ANZ Premiership netball league. With Malesala drafted in as a temporary replacement for Khiarna Williams, who is still rehabbing a shoulder injury, and Simpson adding cover for Maddy Gordon and Whitney Souness, the Pulse have opted to retain the 12 players allowed per squad. ``After injury-restricted build-ups Maddy and Whitney have only recently returned to playing at this level and more recently playing full minutes, so there's still uncertainty there,'' Netball Central Director of High Performance Waimarama Taumaunu said. ``And, it's a very short season, so if anything should go amiss, we have the cover rather than facing a last-minute search. ``Amorangi and Gabi are seasoned players, they're very professional in everything they do, very positive team members and have added enormous value.'' Starting her season as a training partner with the Magic, talented shooter Malesala, is now living the dream while re-launching her elite level career. ``I'm super blessed to be able to stay here permanently for the rest of the season,'' she said. ``I guess that was not really part of the plan and it was a matter of just taking each week as it came but to be able to be here and for Anna (Andrews-Tasola, coach) to have the belief in me to be here and to be a part of the Pulse, I'm super grateful. ``I've loved every minute of it. It was definitely an eye-opener coming in because from the outside looking in, the Pulse are a tight-knit team so being able to be here and to experience that week-in week-out has been awesome for me. ``In order to grow my game and coming to a new environment, a clean slate gives me that ability to learn more about myself and to also immerse myself in this high intensity environment and it's been pretty good so far.'' Former Australian Diamond and Queensland Firebirds centurion, Simpson has put her physiotherapist clients and fledgling Australian Rules football career in Brisbane on hold to extend her stay in Wellington. ``I definitely didn't expect to be here for the whole season but I've felt so welcomed and it's such an enjoyable place to play netball,'' she said ``Now I just really want to contribute to this group to see how good we can be, and I'm really excited to be able to be here for a little bit longer. ``I think the newness about it all has been super refreshing and for me as well, being able to play without much expectation and not a huge amount of ambition other than to make this group great is a really refreshing and freeing way to play. ``They're a great bunch of girls and a great bunch of coaches. They've really taken me in and taught me a lot about the New Zealand way and their style of playing netball. And I really love the depth of culture in this team, it's a special thing to be a part of.'' After traversing the length of the country, Simpson had to wait until halfway through the season before playing her first game in Wellington at the Pulse's spiritual home of TSB Arena. While that resulted in a disappointing loss to the Mystics, the passionate crowd left a lasting impression. ``Walking out in front of that crowd was unreal…..it's loud, it's yellow, there's so much energy that you can feel it, so it's really special to walk out in front of something like that and I guess create a new home,'' she said.
Scoop
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Scoop
Malesala Dons Pulse Colours For Injured Williams
Talented shooter Amorangi Malesala has been contracted to Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse as a replacement player for an injured Khiarna Williams ahead of the ANZ Premiership netball season. It's another setback for the luckless Williams, who also spent time out last season, and is set for another stint of rehabbing after injuring a shoulder during the pre-season tournament in Ōtaki earlier this month. Williams will be sidelined for several weeks but is expected to make a return during the season. Signed on as a training partner for Magic this season, it's been a landscape-changing few days for Malesala. ``This was certainly a surprise but I guess when you're in the position of being a training partner you've got to be prepared for these sorts of opportunities and I'm really grateful to be down here in Wellington with the Pulse,'' she said. ``For many years, I've played against the Pulse and just from the outside looking in, it always seems like they're a tight-knit group. So, being here to be able to experience what it's like, how they do trainings and just the relationships off the court, has been really awesome to see in the short time I've been here and I'm really enjoying it. ``With injuries these opportunities happen and it's similar to what happened to me last year (with the Stars), another player came in for me and took the opportunity, so you've just got to take everything as it comes and now I want to put my best foot forward every time I take the court.'' With the Stars for four years, Malesala, 26, had a breakout season in 2023, making the most of her increased opportunities where she excelled with her variety, deceptive skill set and ice-cool ability to shoot from long range. That strong form earned her a spot in the 2023-24 Silver Ferns Development squad and she was subsequently selected in the Silver Ferns squad for the Nations Cup in England in 2024, going on to make her international debut against the hosts. Possessing a calm demeanour, the strongly-built shooter provides explosive impact through clever movement and ball-handling skills. Dogged by injury last year, Malesala is looking to make the most of her unexpected opportunity which coincides with rule innovations for the upcoming season, most notably the two-point shot, which comes into play for the last five minutes of each quarter with points worth double from the 3.5m range, a scenario for which she would seem tailor-made. ``I enjoy the two-point shot,'' she said. ``I think it adds a lot of elements to our game. It's probably exciting from a supporter's perspective but as a playing group, we're still training to navigate what that looks like. ``It remains crucial to score the one-pointers as much as it is to score the twos and will come down to which teams are the most clinical but I think the Pulse are a side that can really go all the way with this new rule.'' Malesala will get her first game-time in Christchurch this weekend in the last formal hit-out for the Pulse before the season-proper starts, during the Tactix-hosted `Pay What You Can' pre-season tournament which also involves the Steel and Christchurch Men's team. ``We're very grateful and fortunate to have gained the calibre of player we have in Amorangi at such short notice and for what she will bring to the Pulse,'' Netball Central/Pulse Director of High Performance Waimarama Taumaunu said. ``She's a classy player who will add plenty of value and variety to our playing group and we're delighted to have her on board.'' The Pulse open their 2025 campaign against the Magic in Palmerston North on May 10.
