Southern Steel v Tactix - Match Notes
The Tactix have won the past five meetings between the Steel and Tactix.
Southern Steel v Tactix
When: 7.30pm, Monday 15 April
Where: Wolfbrook Arena, Christchurch
Broadcast: Live on Sky Sport and Sky Sport Now (NZ), NetballPass.com (outside NZ)
MATCH NOTES
When the teams last met in Round 8 last season the Tactix claimed a 50-31 victory in Dunedin. The Steel have won 12 and the Tactix 10 in 22 previous ANZ Premiership meetings.
The Tactix and Steel have met 40 times since 2008 with the Steel winning 26, the Tactix 13 and there has been one draw. The Tactix have won the past five meetings between the teams.
The Tactix and Steel have played eight matches in Christchurch (all at Wolfbrook Arena) and the Steel hold a 6-2 win record over the Tactix. The Tactix two wins however are the past two meetings.
Kate Heffernan has been named the fifth captain of the Steel since the start of the ANZ Premiership in 2017.
Reinga Bloxham is the only ANZ Premiership head coach to have led her team from the start of every season of the competition since 2017. Marianne Delaney-Hoshek is the next longest serving ANZ Premiership coach taking over the Tactix head coaching role in round six 2017.
Kimiora Poi will play her 100th National League match in Round 1 against the Steel. Poi has played 92 ANZ Premiership matches (91 Tactix/1 Pulse) and seven for the Collingwood Magpies in Super Netball in 2019.
The Tactix have the most national league experience across their 10 contracted players with 819 matches or an average of 81.9 matches per player.
The Tactix have four players who have played 100 or more national league matches (Te Paea Selby-Rickit 153, Jane Watson 148, Erikana Pedersen 104 and Karin Burger 103. That number will increase to five players after round one with Kimiora Poi on 99 matches heading into the 2024 season.
The Tactix have three new contracted players in 2024; Jess Allan (Steel replacement player), Paris Lokotui (Tactix replacement), Erikana Pedersen (returning), while gone are Vika Koloto (Tactix replacement), Laura Malcolm and Parris Petera (Pulse).
The Steel have six new contracted players in this season; Taneisha Fifita (returning), Abby Lawson (nee Erwood), Grace Namana (Severn Stars NSL), Jennifer O’Connell (returning), Shannon Saunders (pregnancy) and Jeante Strydom (Fireballs, TNL), out are; Eseta Autagavaia, Kate Burley (Stars), Courtney Elliott, George Fisher (injury), Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit (retired), Saviour Tui (Magic) and Sam Winders (Giants SSN).
The Steel’s 10 contracted platers have played a combined total of 575 matches which is the second most in 2024 behind the Tactix who have played 244 more at 819 matches.
Shannon Saunders returns to the Steel in 2024 after missing the 2023 season after the birth of her first child Madison in February last year. Saunders has played 159 national league matches, the most of the 60 ANZ Premiership contracted players in 2024.
The Steel did not sit higher than sixth place the entire 2023 season.
The Tactix held every position on the ANZ Premiership ladder from first to fourth in 2023. They dropped from second to fourth after Round 9 and then stayed in fourth place for the last four rounds.
Despite finishing fourth in 2023 the Tactix equalled their most wins in a minor round in the ANZ Premiership. They won also won nine minor round matches in 2020 and 2021 and played in the Grand Final both of those years.
The Steel is on a team record 17 match losing run that extends back to Round 12, 2022 (29-May). When they play the Tactix on April 15, it will be 687 days since they last won an ANZ Premiership match.