Sense of unfinished business for Pulse
Resilience has become an integral part of the Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse make-up which should stand them in good stead heading into the 2025 ANZ Premiership.
Against the odds, after losing a succession of players to long-term injuries last season, the Pulse had their backs to the wall for much of their campaign. But still came agonisingly close before being pipped at the post by a solitary goal in the Grand Final which ultimately left them with a sense of unfinished business.
In the important aspect of continuity, the Pulse have retained their backbone with eight returning players while also welcoming midcourter Ainsleyana Puleiata back into the fold and new face in exciting young defender Laura Balmer.
There is talent to burn across the court with the shooting end spearheaded by Amelia Walmsley and Tiana Metuarau, dynamos Whitney Souness, Maddy Gordon and Fa’amu Ioane patrolling the midcourt and a Silver Ferns defensive pairing in Kelly Jackson and Parris Mason.
"It’s great to have that experience and for most of them to have worked together before but to be honest, we only had one game together with our original 10 last year. So, I’m really looking forward to having the opportunity to see them more on-court together this year,’’ Pulse coach Anna Andrews-Tasola said.
"We just want to finish what we started last year. We didn’t get to see the best of the Pulse last year and I’m really looking forward to being able to that for our community who were so supportive of us last year.
"We want to go out there and inspire them and make sure we finish the job this year while being able to showcase all our players.’’
The team need look no further than Puleiata for inspiration, the sparkling little midcourter facing more challenges than most after suffering three anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures in six years (2017 – 2023), each putting the brakes on her promising career after being the 2022 National Netball League (NNL) Player of the Year in 2022 and gaining her first full contract with the Pulse in 2023.
"She’s worked extremely hard multiple times to get here when it could have been really easy for her to say she’d had enough and no one would have thought any less of her if she had made that decision,’’ Andrews-Tasola said.
"But to be able to see her back here, thriving and growing is exciting and I’m really proud of her.
"We all inspire each other. Everyone has their own journey of ups and downs, nobody’s path is the same and we appreciate what we all bring to the team.’’
Rule innovations and a shorter two-round competition for 2025 have given teams and coaches more food for thought than other years as they head into unchartered territory.
With the introduction of a coach’s box, team timeouts and live umpire audio adding new dynamics to the season ahead, the big talking point remains the two-point shot which will come into play for the last five minutes of each quarter, rewarding long-range shooting (from 3.5m) and worth double points.
"The two-point shot is a very different addition to the game and we’re looking forward to the challenge and seeing how things evolve,’’ Andrews-Tasola said. ``Things are going to change throughout the season as people learn new strategies and try different things, so it’s going to be exciting.
"It will absolutely have an impact. Previously, if you got a bit of a lead, you could try some stuff out, blood in some new players but you probably won’t be able to do that as much because teams will now have the ability to come back in the last five minutes of each quarter.
"So, it’s going to be different and most players will have to stay on for the full time in most instances. But all shooters love a challenge, the Pulse shooters being no different in embracing this new concept. Now it’s just wait and see to how it all unfolds.’’