Netball: Looking to blaze off the bottom

By DAVID LEGGATT

Leonie Matoe is not one for gazing into crystal balls.

Given that she is co-captain of the Counties Manukau Cometz, who have been bottom of the national league for each of the past three years, and with some buzz around about reducing the size of the competition, and/or introducing Australian teams, that's probably just as well. The view might not be that hot.

Still, the Cometz will go into the season with fresh zest, brought in by new coach, and former Silver Fern, Ana Noovao. That alone will not be enough to pull the Cometz off the bottom, but Matoe reckons there is something about the franchise this season which bodes well.

"It's going to be challenging for sure," the 25-year-old centre/wing attack says. "But Ana has brought lots of enthusiasm to the team, we've had a strong build-up and we're definitely ready."

The Cometz have not set a specific target, such as the semifinals. Given their record that makes sense, but the aim is to restore some pride to the franchise and make life difficult for their opponents. "Our aim is to go out and punish the opposition with positive play, speed, skill and fitness."

Matoe, who shares the captaincy with versatile defender Roxanne Chatterton, is at her fourth franchise, since starting on the right note, as part of the Rebels' 1998-winning combination. Since then, she has been a Shaker, a Diamond and now a Comet, so to speak. That experience will be important in a squad not exactly flush with seasoned campaigners.

The Cometz' strength will be in mid-court, she believes, and in Cook Islands international, the 1.83m Angela Moate and the 1.9m Monika Tupuono-Fuimaono, they have two proficient shooters.

If Matoe and her mates had sat down and worked out their ideal start to the competition it would not have read: Sting (a) followed by Shakers (a). But that's what they've got, followed by the bye, which could be a timely break.

But the positive side to that is if they perform creditably, give the four-time-champions the Sting a fright, they can approach the post-bye weeks with plenty of confidence.

And as for those off-court mutterings? "That's definitely not going to encroach on how we tackle this year."