For all their good work, the Central Pulse still look destined to miss this season's ANZ Championship playoffs.

At least three top Magic netballers are poised to follow departing coach Noeline Taurua out the door.

The cupboard is officially bare in the Northern Mystics' defensive department, with Australian import Julie Corletto - the last remaining defender from their original squad - scratched for the remainder of the season.

The Magic have rather gingerly moved into the box seat to secure a place in the transtasman league play-offs.

The Queensland Firebirds kept their transtasman netball top-two hopes alive yesterday, bouncing back from successive losses to score a big win.

Kayla Cullen admits the experiment to play her at centre this year has "probably failed", though she isn't giving up hope of a midcourt role in the future.

The battling Northern Mystics have lost their third defender for the year as their season of woe continues.

The Central Pulse have set up an intriguing three-way battle among the New Zealand teams.

The Adelaide Thunderbirds edged past the NSW Swifts by three goals in a thrilling netball championship clash in Sydney yesterday.

The Magic have survived another tense battle as they continue to walk the tight-rope towards the transtasman league finals.

The Southern Steel may have been dismissed as a one-woman band, their style of play boring and predictable, but Magic defender Casey Kopua can't wait to get another crack at them.

During a lifetime in netball, Lois Muir has seen a lot of administrators come and go.

Netball New Zealand head Raelene Castle is the new chief executive of the Bulldogs rugby league outfit, becoming the first female boss of a NRL club.

The Tactix slim ANZ Championship playoff hopes were all but dashed after suffering a 62-58 defeat.

This week it was the Central Pulse's turn to play catch up.