Netball: Pulse close to selecting new coach

Robyn Broughton will leave the Central Pulse at the end of the season. Photo / NZME.

The Central Pulse will have a new coach by the end of the month.

Veteran mentor Robyn Broughton has announced this season with the franchise will be her last and Pulse chief executive Carolyn Young said the recruitment process had produced a thorough search. It's understood that three candidates were interviewed.

"We'd hope to have it finalised before the end of the round robin season, so by the end of this month," Young said.

"It's quite a robust process and there's lots of boxes to tick so it's how we work our way through there."

The search wasn't limited to Kiwi coaches either. "We've had interest from overseas from two or three different countries and throughout New Zealand," Young confirmed.

Recruiting a coach is vital because it will, in turn, dictate what players the Pulse can target to help fill out their roster for 2016.

"It's a domino effect," Young said. "Any player wants to understand who the coach is going to be and what the philosophy is before they sign on the dotted line."

The Pulse have an ageing squad but Young expected a majority of the players to return next year, while they hoped to mix in some youth.

Questions remain about what the side will do with veteran goal shoot Irene van Dyk who has looked laboured this year. The 42-year-old is well into the twilight of her career and this campaign could be her last.

On the court, the Pulse will try and keep their season alive when they host the lowly Mainland Tactix at Te Rauparaha Arena on Monday night.

The Pulse are sitting fourth in the New Zealand conference and probably need to win three of their four remaining games to make the top three to grab a playoff spot.

Pulse captain Katrina Grant said the side needed to keep their composure when the heat went on during a close game.

"There are just moments in games when we're lapsing or losing concentration in key moments which are making us lose games," Grant said.