Netball: Anxious wait for Mainland Tactix ahead of ANZ Premiership elimination final

The Mainland Tactix are on the brink of making club history as they eye a spot in the playoffs. Photo / Getty

The Mainland Tactix will be anxiously watching tonight's ANZ Premiership game as the league's perennial losers eagerly eye a spot in next week's elimination final.

With the reputation of being one of the weakest teams in both the national league and former trans-Tasman ANZ Championship, the Tactix surprised fans this season with victories over every franchise.

The Mainlanders claimed seven wins from 15 games – the most they have ever had in a season – while earning themselves five bonus points for close matches that were lost by five goals or less.

The Tactix topped off their historic regular season on Monday night when they claimed their first ANZ Premiership victory over the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic in a critical clash which saw the Mainland side move back into third place on the Premiership ladder.

But with a 1.2 per cent tiebreaker advantage and a final clash against the Central Pulse tonight, the Northern Mystics could rob the Tactix of the final playoffs spot if they win.

Tactix captain Jane Watson admitted the clash would be a nervous watch but said she knew they had done all they could.

The Tactix have won seven games so far this season. Photo / Getty

"To make the playoffs would be massive," Watson told the Herald.

"That was our plan from the start to make that top three and hopefully then get into finals and overall winning it."

"It's all becoming a reality now I guess and I'm just so stoked for the girls and proud of how far we have come, whether we make it or not, we've done everything we can at this stage."

"We'll just have to wait and see I guess, the Mystics are going to go out there firing because they're going to want that top three ... it should be a really good match."

The Tactix suffered 96 losses from 117 games across the ten years they played in the ANZ Championship, finishing with the wooden spoon on five ocassions.

But after falling to the bottom of the table again last year in their first season of the ANZ Premiership, not even the Tactix themselves could have expected their sudden turnaround.

Watson, who played for the Southern Steel last season, said although she couldn't make significant comparisons, believed the team's "fresh mentality" was to credit.

"It's been a fresh start for the team and a fresh mindset ... overall the approach to the season was a fresh start and had nothing to do with the previous years," she said.

"We're having those hard conversations with each other and I feel like in the team everyone has got each other's backs but we're not afraid to say if there's something wrong ... because we all know it's for the greater good of the team."

"I'm finding it a really positive environment, not just positive but also quite performance-based, we're really demanding from each other this year."

Should the Mystics fail to topple to the league leaders tonight, the Tactix will face the Steel next Wednesday night at Stadium Southland in the elimination final.

Watson said she was confident in her team's ability to take down the defending champions for the second time this season.

"Every team is beatable and we've proved that to date. Finals netball is a little bit different as any team could win on the day so we just want to go out there and go firing," she said.