Shooting end
Latu and Tutaia had a messy start to the year, collectively shooting at below 65 per cent and averaging just 35 goals in their first two outings. Their shooting stats improved and it wasn't long before they were recording numbers we're more accustomed to seeing from the pair, but they have continued to struggle in other areas.
Both players have a high error rate, with Tutaia leading the league in turnovers with 6.4 per game, while Latu is not far behind in seventh spot making them the most expensive shooting combination in the league.
Tutaia's numbers are particularly high because she is being forced to do a lot of work outside the circle as one of the side's main ball-carriers. Remarkably, she tops the league in centre pass receives, with over 60 more than the next highest - Steel midcourter Shannon Francois. But in general, their high turnover count reflects the poor connections between the midcourt and the shooting circle. The big criticism over Latu's game is her insistence on passing in and out of the circle to try to get in better shooting position under the post, which only gives the opposition defence more opportunities to disrupt the play.
Midcourt
It was thought the arrival of Langman would provide the missing piece of the puzzle for the Mystics, who struggled last season following the departure of midcourt dynamo and long-serving captain Temepara Bailey. But the 100-test Silver Fern has not been able to slot into the line-up as seamlessly as hoped, with her high-percentage approach at odds with the Mystics' creative, and at times high-risk, brand of netball.
Ball security is important, but there are times when Langman has been overly cautious with her feeding, going back to the centre third and re-setting when Latu was available under the post.
The Mystics attack seems to be over-reliant on Langman, with the players looking to the energetic centre first, making their wing attack practically redundant and their play easy to read for opposition defences.
Defence
Ravaged by injuries at the beginning of the season, the most serious involving key defender Anna Harrison, it wasn't until the fourth round that coach Debbie Fuller had her full complement of players to choose from (with the exception of young Silver Fern star Kayla Cullen who continues the long road back from a knee reconstruction).
It took a couple more weeks for the defensive end to settle, as Harrison worked her way back into the game and developed her combination with Corletto. While Harrison has had her moments, she has not really featured in the major statistical categories - rebounds, intercepts and deflections - which you would expect from the league's leading goal keeps.
She has been outshone by talented young defender Temalisi Fakahokotau, who sits fourth in the league's intercept count despite having irregular court time. Corletto, who was selected this week for the Australian Commonwealth Games team, is an impressive athlete but the Mystics have been unable to find a way to work her strengths into their defensive structure. The team are leaking a shade under 60-goals a game, giving them the third worst defensive record in the league.
Team dynamic
The franchise perhaps underestimated what a big hole Bailey would leave at the franchise - not just in the midcourt, where she dictated the tempo - but more so in terms of leadership and influence over the team. Bailey was a player everyone respected and who had the ability to pull together the strong personalities in the group. When the chips were down, you could bank on the veteran midcourter to inspire her side. Tutaia doesn't seem to have that same ability. Cliques have formed in the side and they don't appear a cohesive team unit on or off the court.
