Pulse keen to put the puff back in their sails

April 28, 2016
Pulse keen to put the puff back in their sails

Putting the shine back into their performance sits top of the agenda for Central Pulse ahead of Sunday’s ANZ Championship netball clash against an ever-improving Mainland Tactix in Porirua.

After an encouraging start to the season, the Pulse had the wind taken out of their sails when dismantled by an efficient Southern Steel with a below par performance in their latest outing. Waiting in the wings is another South Island opponent, the Tactix riding high after posting their first win of the season in a thriller against the Northern Mystics.

The after effects of deviating a long way off script and playing at times as if they were negotiating a minefield against the Steel, has left a suitably reflective few days, the mood since turning into a strong resolve to put things right.

"It’s something we’ve got to address and we need to address it now because we’re in to round five and we can’t afford to have another performance like that,’’ experienced Pulse midcourter Chelsea Locke said.

"I’m putting my hand up…….I need to sharpen up and smarten up, so if everyone does that away from the court and really has a bit more accountability for when we step back out for this training week leading into Tactix I think that’s the right way, the positive way to move on because that’s sport.

"This is the way the cookie crumbles with sport and the challenge week-in week-out out is trying to find a way to string together consistently good performances. We have parked it, left Steel behind and are focussed on not letting that type of performance happen again.’’

The Tactix have every right to be confident coming into the weekend, with the nucleus of their squad having been together for some time now gaining traction, their growing ability to tough out a game and the dynamism provided by shooters Bailey Mes and Mwai Kumwenda on attack making them a dangerous opponent.

For the Pulse, there will be more concentration on their own game and tactics.

"For us, it’s doing as much as we can to know what we’re coming up against and having a bigger toolbox if we are getting stopped on our style of play that we can reach in to and change it up,’’ Locke said.

"We need to realise that on court and take ownership of it and not wait for the coaches talk at the breaks. We need to have a bit more focus on ourselves, keep it internal, work for each other and get back to simple, basic netball.’’

The vibe in the Pulse camp remains upbeat and despite the nature of last week’s loss, the post-game analysis has raised the intent levels and galvanised the players.

"Obviously we were extremely unhappy with ourselves straight after the game,’’ Locke said. "When you come off from a bad performance you feel it because you love playing, you love your team and when things don’t go right it is disheartening.

"We went through the negatives but there were also some positives and it’s now about trying to string those positives together and bring it for 60 minutes.

"These things happen. Losses happen……it can be character-building. We’re not the first team that’s been there done that, and we won’t be the last, it’s just how we pick up from here.’’

ENDS.

© Scoop Media