In the biggest round of the competition so far, the weekend promised a chance for many teams to turn the tide of their season as we begin to reach the tail end of the 2022 ANZ Premiership.
1. Mystics go two from two in packed weekend
Continuing their winning waysto maintain top spot on the ANZ Premiership ladder, the Northern Mystics were the only team to clinch two wins from two games in what was a full on weekend of netball.
After a hefty nineteen goal win over the Mainland Tactix on Saturday, the Mystics were pushed right until the final whistle on Sunday by their Auckland rivals, the Northern Stars, who put the pressure on in the final quarter.
Despite the strong Stars pushback, the Mystics proved once again that the depth of their bench is one of their key features this season, with coach Helene Wilson injecting the likes of Carys Stythe and Fa'amu Ioane into the defensive end to effectively combat any sense of fatigue after the weekend's successive matches.
Despite another loss in their second meeting against the Mystics on Sunday, it was a Stars performance that showed no echoes of the last time these two teams met, when the Stars went down by a devastating 24 goals.
An impressive last quarter push by the Stars was helped by the injection of Amorangi Malesala in the goal shoot bib, who partnered with goal attack Jamie Hume to win the final quarter 12-10.
It's a shooting combination that is only beginning to take shape for the Stars, and with only three rounds left before finals commence, the Stars will need to be translating these moments of brilliance into wins if they want to be in contention come finals time.
But for the Stars, early Covid-19 setbacks has meant that they still have six games on the cards before final table positions are determined.
Hot on their heels however, are the Southern Steel, who have seven games to make up before the season is over. The two teams will meet twice in five days in the final week of the competition, by which point the Stars will be hoping to have maintained their recent rise.
3. Magic have all of the ingredients of a winning team - but can't find the balance
Ameliaranne Ekenasio and Baily Mes of the Magic. Photo / Photosport
A full strength Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic side couldn't fend off a driven Tactix team, both of whom were searching for only their second win of the season.
The Magic's second loss of the weekend to the Tactix came off the back of an eight-goal loss to the Stars on Saturday afternoon, a result not helped by an unimpeded nine-goal run by the Northerners in the third quarter, despite the Waikato side being up by two at the end of the first.
The highly anticipated return of shooter Ameliaranne Ekenasio for Sunday's match promised a glimmer of hope for the Magic going into their clash against the Tactix, but her injection into the second half couldn't prevent a dominant second half by the Cantabrians, who ran away with the final quarter to seal the deal 51-48.
It's a weekend of results reflective of the Magic's season so far, the team unable to drive for the full 60 minutes or deliver on combinations when really needed. They meet the Stars again this weekend, and will be looking to capture the essence of Saturday's winning first-quarter performance.
4. Pulse seriously striving for a place in this years' finals
A final quarter fightback by a relentless Central Pulse side gave them a six-goal win in Dunedin on Monday night, after trailing by seven goals midway through the third quarter.
After a strong start by the Southerners, a whole-team effort by the Pulse was enough for them to notch up a 15-5 last quarter score to clinch the come-from-behind win, denying the Steel a bonus point in the process.
An intensely physical match gave way to messy passages of play from both teams, but the Pulse managed to see over the mess to deliver ball to their key shooter Aliyah Dunn, who netted 36 from 37 attempts to keep her atop the stats table as the most accurate shooter in the competition this year.
Pulse defender Kelly Jury got the better of Steel goal shooter George Fisher, who was benched in the final few minutes as the Pulse began their push towards the winning result.
It was a much-needed win for the Pulse who ensure they retain second position on the table, five points clear of the third-place Stars.
5. Good preparation for demands of Commonwealth Games
Sitting in the stands of Pulman Arena on Sunday afternoon, Dame Noeline Taurua was keeping a watchful eye over the four teams that took the court, each playing their second game in two days.
The back-to-back schedule of the weekend mirrors the expectation of a Commonwealth Games campaign, and would have provided the coaches and selectors with an indication of which players have the legs to last out on court day after day.
Silver Ferns hopefuls in the Northern Mystics side should stand in good stead after the weekend's performance.
Despite only playing the one game this weekend, the Pulse's comeback win demonstrates the same tenacity and drive to see the match through to the final whistle.
