Netball: Results don't speak for Outkast

Outkast Optimise Physio player-coach Jeda Bartlett and shooter Rakei Huata will have key roles tonight. Photo / Paul Taylor

Expect Outkast Optimise Physio to be the fourth qualifiers come semifinal time in Hawke's Bay's Super 6 premier netball competition.

In fact, if they had all of their top players all the time they would be a huge threat to the top three teams. But former New Zealand Secondary Schools midcourter Kimiora Poi hasn't been available since the the grading rounds because of her commitments with the Pulse Development side and former Eastern defender Amanda Palmer is still a week or two away from duty because of an injury.

"Yes we're definitely better than our results suggest," goal shoot Rakei Huata said as she and player-coach Jeda Bartlett last night finalised plans for tonight's round three clash against another winless outfit in Havelock North Jazz Apples Kauri at Woodford House.

Huata, 28, a younger sister of former Eastern and Physique 2000 shooter Raiha Huata, is the top shooter in the comp to date and last week shot 91 per cent against Otane, an admirable feat when one takes into account the defensive players on the Otane roster. However Huata and Evolution Fitness Gym owner Bartlett didn't want to look any further ahead than tonight's game which was understandable as all three of their starting defenders from last week are unavailable. KathleenTuapata-Nahora is injured and Hawke's Bay Under-17 rep Summer-Rose Taylor and Aisha Taylor are both out of town.

"A couple of players from our Saturday premier club team, Dana Arnott and Corra Quinn, proved they are more than capable at this level when they came off the bench against Otane. We'll use them again and if I can't twist Amanda's arm to be on the bench we'll only have the starting seven," Bartlett said.

"Despite these circumstances I'm confident we can beat Kauri but at the same time we know they will treat this as a target game also, " Bartlett said.

Huata, an accounts and administration worker at her former school, Te Kura Kaupapa Maori O Ngati Kahungunu Ki Heretaunga, pointed out the Outkast defenders have scavenged a lot of ball in games to date which has been turned over in the midcourt before it has got to the shooting circle. Retaining possession will be a major focus for the team in tonight's match which will be the first for the two sides since Outkast won last year's Saturday premier grade final.

"After Kauri we've got Central and then All In. We drew with All In in a grading match at the start of the season so we're looking at that game to give us a good gauge as we prepare for the second round," Huata added.

The main match at Woodford House will see unbeaten teams All In Elusive and Hastings High School Old Girls Proactive Huias clash. All In coach Charissa Barham is confident there will be a better shooting percentage from her team than produced in last week's win against Havelock North despite the absence of regular shooter Melissa Ellmers who is overseas.

Barham will be looking to the likes of Tia Lewis and Nikki Livingstone to help compensate for Ellmers absence.

"We will have a smaller attacking circle staff than normal but we've come up with a game plan to cope with that adjustment. We know this is a target game for both teams and we're looking forward to a tougher match than we had in the first two rounds," Barham added.

In the only match at Waipukurau's AW Parsons Stadium unbeaten defending champions Otane Thirsty Whale should prove too strong for winless Central Sports Vet Services HB.

Tonight's draws:

AW Parsons Stadium, Waipukurau 7pm: Otane Thirsty Whale v Central Sports Vet Services HB.
Umpires: H Lewis & T Gardiner.

Woodford House, Havelock North 6pm: Havelock North Jazz Apples Kauri v Outkast Optimise Physio.
Umpires: P Castles & D Thomas.

Woodford House, Havelock North 7.30pm: All In Elusive v Hastings High School Old Girls' Proactive Huias.
Umpires: K Ives & N Corbett.