Cathrine Latu notches up 100 games for Northern Mystics

Cathrine Latu

Mother hen, camp mother, dear leader - Northern Mystics premier goal shoot Cathrine Latu has been labelled them all during her tenure with the franchise.

And after adding 100 notches of ANZ Championship matches to her belt of netball nous recently, the Kawakawa lass admits she is at ease with her nurturing role within the Mystics environment.

"Yeah, I like to think I'm the head honcho sometimes - until Debbie [coach Debbie Fuller] pulls me back down to earth," she says.

Despite being the only player to have been involved with the team every year since its inception in 2008, Latu says she has pondered moving elsewhere over the years.

"It is really interesting. It hasn't been all fun and games for the Mystics, it's been quite a rollercoaster.

"I've toyed with the idea of leaving [but] I don't regret the decision I've made to stay. This is home to me and I have such a connection with the fans that we have."

Latu, 28, played her 100th championship game against the Pulse, albeit with a niggly ankle.

"It's just a bit of a stinger - but I'm just trying to get it moving again. Obviously it could be a lot better but it's something that I'm working on."

Playing off the bench, she came on in the third quarter to shoot 13/13 and help guide her nest of players home in the dying seconds.

Her last attempt at goal was shot from well beyond the baseline but was disallowed as the umpire hastily called time on the match.

"[It] wasn't counted because the ball hadn't gone through the net before she called the whistle for time.

"I asked her if she could just give it to me because it was out of my range and I'm probably never going to shoot a shot like that again ... but she said no."

On the topic of her century for the Mystics, Latu acknowledges, "it's not an easy feat to play 100 games for the same franchise".

"I didn't want to give it too much and think about it. We needed that win more than me to play my 100th game."

Although she has experienced various injury and fitness woes this season, one thing that has not faltered is her shooting ability.

However, she is shy to admit it.

"Only shooters will know that a big part of being a shooter is being able to handle everything mentally.

"It's [been] quite a bit of a struggle lately. I've opted to get closer under the post than what I need to.

"That's a mental thing that I'm trying to address right now. The percentage, yes it looks nice, but I'm not shooting as many goals as I need to," Latu says.

With the ANZ championships well past the halfway mark, Latu says there is plenty of hard work to do as the finals loom.

On the side of this, she is also working hard at keeping herself in the Silver Fern frame for the 2015 Netball World Cup.

"We're still fighting for positions for the Silver Ferns but that's in the back of our minds.

"I started this goal eight years ago to play a Commonwealth Games and a Netball World Cup for New Zealand.

"I've only done one of those so far, so this (world cup) is next on my bucket list.

"It's creeping up on us really fast and we need that world cup to come back to New Zealand."