Netball writer Kayla Hodge casts her eye on the much anticipated game.
The match up
The Tactix have had the better of the Mystics this season. They edged the defending champions 62-59 in round three and thumped them 56-42 in round eight when they were without Grace Nweke. But the Mystics rebounded nicely in round 12, beating the Tactix 61-49. It is always an interesting clash between the two, who match up quite well against each other. Both have tall shooters in Nweke (Mystics) and Ellie Bird (Tactix), and rangy defenders in Phoenix Karaka and Carys Stythe (Mystics) and Karin Burger and Jane Watson (Tactix). Bird, Aliyah Dunn (Tactix) and Michaela Sokolich-Beatson (Mystics) all bring up their 100th national league games today.
Mainland Tactix
The oil: They were the pace-setters in the competition and looked certain to host the final before a few hiccups in recent weeks. They lost 58-44 to the Central Pulse on Monday. Everyone tipped it to be a barnstorming game but it ended up being rather lopsided, as the Tactix looked disjointed. The week before, they slipped 51-49 to the fourth-placed Magic. But they do come in with the better record of 11-4 this season. Bird, dare I say it, has been a revelation at the back in the absence of Dunn early and is the league’s most accurate shooter at 92.6%. But they have won only one of their past four games.
Key player: When Te Paea Selby-Rickit fires, the Tactix seem to do well. Has had a couple of quiet games recently as she works her way back into a combination with Dunn and Bird rotating. If she can get the slip on her defender early, let those quick offloads go, and use her court craft to her advantage, it will have a big impact on the Tactix.
Why they win: If they can shed the past couple of weeks and get back to basics, they really are unstoppable. They boast smooth transition down court, defensive prowess and are one of the most accurate teams in the competition. There is nothing flashy in the approach of midcourters Erikana Pedersen and Kimiora Poi, but once that ball is in Bird’s hands, it is a sure thing. They also have proven ball winners in Watson and Burger, who have 127 deflections and 50 intercepts between them. Greer Sinclair, one of the most exciting midcourters around with potential to burn, must be used. She is the first to look long every time, and that breaks open the defence. They will be doing everything they can to make sure departing coach Marianne Delaney-Hoshek gets another shot at the title.
Northern Mystics
The oil: It has been an up-and-down season, but they have come together to steady the ship at the right time. The return of Nweke and Peta Toeava — who leads the competition with 442 feeds — and their undeniable connection has been a saviour for the defending champions. They lost their way when both of them were out injured. But defender Stythe has come into her own this season under the guidance of defensive partner Karaka. The Mystics have a 9-6 record this season and you can never count out the defending champions.
Key player: Cannot look past Nweke. The Silver Ferns shooter can turn a game on its head and you can see how much more relaxed the Mystics are when they know they have her to get the ball to in the circle. She is the most dominant shooter in the game.
Why they win: Everything to play for and nothing to lose. The defending champions are not going to lay down and let the Tactix just walk all over them. Their ball-speed catches teams off guard. As with the Tactix, once the ball is in their star shooter’s hands, there is only one place it’s going. Tayla Earle has carried the midcourt this season alongside captain Sokolich-Beatson and they often dip under the radar for the work they do. If they keep up that workload today, the Mystics will be in the hunt for back-to-back titles.
Hodge’s prediction
Heart says Tactix, head says Mystics. Feels like the Mystics are peaking, while the Tactix have plateaued. Mystics by five goals.
