Wairarapa wary of opposition

Wairarapa will be taking nothing for granted when they meet a Kapiti selection in their opening match in the regional superleague netball competition at the Genesis Recreation Centre in Masterton tonight
As winners of the inaugural superleague series last season Wairarapa are entitled to go into the game as favourites but with a new look squad themselves and against opposition whose strengths and weaknesses are unknown complacency won't be a problem.
"Obviously we're aiming for a win but we also know nothing is guaranteed," Wairarapa coach Marion Tulloch said. " Last season's results don't mean anything now?..what happened then doesn't count anymore."
Tulloch has been pleased with the enthusiasm and commitment shown by her players in the training sessions leading into tonight's game, sessions which have included input from former Silver Fern Debbie Matoe, current Capital Shakers player Livalla Paki and New Zealand Defence Force and Army coach Sophie Paki.
As was to be expected at this early stage of the season there was still work done on developing combinations but she was optimistic that even though many of the squad members would be playing together in an official game for the first time they would perform well as a team.
Tulloch is optimistic too that her players will cope with the more physical style of play likely to be found in superleague games compared to ordinary club matches.
"There will be more push and shove and we have to adjust to that," she said.
In that respect they will need to bear in mind comments made by last season's Wairarapa coach Kelly Sargent..
"Teams try to bully you into submission and if you aren't prepared to fight fire with fire then you become pretty much redundant," Sargent said. "You have to get in there and mix it?otherwise you are a goner."
Tulloch had not named her starting line-up for tonight's match at the time these notes were penned but it seemed certain that three members of last year's team in captain Geraldine Carroll, Celia Donaldson and Lisa Manihera would be amongst them.
Others in the Wairarapa squad for tonight's match are Perri Tatana, Jamie Reiri, Pip Lynch, Ella Biggs, Logan Karaitiana, Lorraine Maloney and Casey Pederson.Unavailable through injury were Sarah Brooking and Harriet Somerville.