Netball legend's legacy lives on
"Robyn had a massive influence on a lot of people in our team and so we’d love to get that trophy and love to have a really good performance, not only for Robyn but for the home crowd as well.”
Steel v Pulse at ILT Stadium Southland in Invercargill, 7.30pm, Monday
There will be more than ANZ Premiership points on the line in Invercargill in Round 12 with the Robyn Broughton Legacy Trophy at stake for the first time when the Southern Steel host the Pulse.
The teams will pay tribute to the legendary netball coach who guided both sides during her successful coaching career and passed away last year.
Steel captain Kate Heffernan said the match would take on extra meaning for the region and the players who knew Broughton well.
“It means a lot. Robyn had a massive influence on a lot of people in our team and so we’d love to get that trophy and love to have a really good performance, not only for Robyn but for the home crowd as well.”
But she said they had plenty to “reflect” on after a 24-goal loss to the Tactix last week.
“We’ve got to re-watch the game, dump it and really come out hard on Monday against the Pulse,” she said.
The Pulse have already made one successful trip to the Deep South this year with a 20-goal win in Round 8 and this time they will have Tiana Metuarau at their disposal with the goal attack steadily building minutes on court in the latter stages of the Premiership. She was in the action for 30 minutes last week showing some of the touches she is well known for including her quick release of ball into shooter Martina Salmon.
No doubt coach Anna Andrews-Tasola will be looking to increase that time on court with the Finals Series on the horizon.
By the Numbers…
When the teams last met in Round 8 the Pulse defeated the Steel 57-37 in Invercargill.
• The Steel and Pulse have met 25 times in the ANZ Premiership with the Pulse winning 14 and the Steel 11.
• The Steel and Pulse have met 42 times since 2008 with Steel winning 22, the Pulse 20 and there has been one draw.
• The Pulse have won the past seven meetings between the teams, but the Steel won the four meetings prior to that.
• The Steel and Pulse have met 11 previous times in Invercargill and the Steel have won seven and the Pulse four. The Pulse have won the past three meetings in Invercargill in 2022, 2023 & 2024.
• The Pulse is coming off a 46-43 win over the Stars in Porirua in Round 11 and have a record of nine wins, two losses and a bonus point to sit in second place on the ladder.
• The Steel are coming off a 47-71 loss to the Tactix in Invercargill in round 11 and have a record of two wins and nine losses to sit at the bottom of the ladder.
• Pulse or Tactix have both held top place on the ladder after every round this season.
• Georgia Heffernan (Steel), played her 50th ANZ Premiership match in Round 11 against the Tactix.
• Fa’amu Ioane (Pulse) will play her 100th national league match in round 12. Ioane made her national league debut for Mystics in the ANZ Championship in 2016 and has played 36 matches in blue (2016, 2021-2022), 36 for the Stars (2017-2018, 2020) and 27 for the Pulse (2023-2024).
• The Pulse have the best defensive record in the ANZ Premiership after 11 rounds conceding 45.4 goals per match while the Steel has the worst defensive record conceding 56.1 goals per match.
• The Pulse and Steel have the two lowest shooting records in the competition; the Pulse have shot their 565 at 81.3% while the Steel has shot their 503 goals at 81.1%.
• Laura Balmer made her ANZ Premiership debut for the Steel against the Tactix on Saturday.
• Seventeen players have taken the court for the Steel in 2024 the most of any team this season. The Stars aren’t far behind them with 16 players, but the record for the most is 18 players to take the court for a team in a single in a season, which was the Magic and Mystics in 2022.