Developing players is first and foremost on the mind of many coaches in the Synergy Hair Netball League (SHNL) which whistles into action this weekend, but that doesn’t mean they’d still like to end the dominance of defending champions Central Manawa.
Six teams, aligned with the ANZ Premiership sides, will put their pre-season training to the test with the opening round of the SHNL – a league which underpins the Premiership and is vital in strengthening the performance pathway for emerging talent in New Zealand.
Waikato Bay of Plenty host the first game of the season on Saturday where they take on the Comets at Trustpower Arena in Tauranga while the defending champion Manawa side face a double-header against the Southern Blast with a game at TSB Arena in Wellington on Saturday before backing up on Sunday at Ākau Tangi Sports Centre.
New Mainland coach Tania Hoffman said players were eager to get on court after a focussed build-up and they were looking forward to rounding out the first weekend of play when they host the Northern Marvels at Christchurch Arena on Sunday.
Mainland has reached the Grand Final on two occasions, including last year’s loss to Manawa, and while Hoffman said Central Manawa could be seen as the main target, after winning the title four times, there were other factors to consider in a successful season.
“It would be nice to knock (Central) off their perch,” she said with a laugh.
“They’ve set the benchmark and of course we want to perform. But essentially, it’s got to be about both – we want that winning mentality, but we also want to leave our athletes in a better place and developing them is really key.
“We are very aligned to what the Tactix are doing and work closely with them so that if there is any movement of the players into the Premiership, they know the structures.”
Hoffman said as a netball coach it was pleasing to see many of New Zealand’s young athletes making their mark on the ANZ Premiership having come through the SHNL.
There were also a number of former players stepping into the coaching roles and gaining experience through the SHNL – Manawa a side guided by three former Pulse players including head coach Ngarama Milner-Olsen and assistants Renee Matoe and Cushla Lichtwark.
“This league is definitely about growth,” Hoffman said.
She has also ready seen signs of that growth during their pre-season and with just two players returning from last year’s Grand Finalists, they were keen to see how they were tracking this weekend.
“We’ve got that mix of experience and youth which is exciting, and we’ve had a good build-up in terms of playing four pre-season games – three against the ACT Darts from Australia and one against the Southern Blast – so we feel we’re ready to get out there and get started.”
There are some familiar names in the side with former Pulse defender Paris Lokotui moving south while sisters of Tactix players Aliyah Dunn and Kimiora Poi, Tyra Dunn and Ashleigh Poi, are also in the side.
Tactix training partners Julia Wynands and Taiana Day are also part of Mainland as well as Tactix apprentice players Kate Littlejohn and Emma Thompson.
Young Christchurch shooters Te Atu Hassan and Emily Hargreaves will be players to watch as they make their SHNL debuts.
The Synergy Hair Netball League Grand Final will be played at TSB Arena in Wellington on 14 May with the two top-ranked teams to go head-to-head.
Six teams, aligned with the ANZ Premiership sides, will put their pre-season training to the test with the opening round of the SHNL – a league which underpins the Premiership and is vital in strengthening the performance pathway for emerging talent in New Zealand.
Waikato Bay of Plenty host the first game of the season on Saturday where they take on the Comets at Trustpower Arena in Tauranga while the defending champion Manawa side face a double-header against the Southern Blast with a game at TSB Arena in Wellington on Saturday before backing up on Sunday at Ākau Tangi Sports Centre.
New Mainland coach Tania Hoffman said players were eager to get on court after a focussed build-up and they were looking forward to rounding out the first weekend of play when they host the Northern Marvels at Christchurch Arena on Sunday.
Mainland has reached the Grand Final on two occasions, including last year’s loss to Manawa, and while Hoffman said Central Manawa could be seen as the main target, after winning the title four times, there were other factors to consider in a successful season.
“It would be nice to knock (Central) off their perch,” she said with a laugh.
“They’ve set the benchmark and of course we want to perform. But essentially, it’s got to be about both – we want that winning mentality, but we also want to leave our athletes in a better place and developing them is really key.
“We are very aligned to what the Tactix are doing and work closely with them so that if there is any movement of the players into the Premiership, they know the structures.”
Hoffman said as a netball coach it was pleasing to see many of New Zealand’s young athletes making their mark on the ANZ Premiership having come through the SHNL.
There were also a number of former players stepping into the coaching roles and gaining experience through the SHNL – Manawa a side guided by three former Pulse players including head coach Ngarama Milner-Olsen and assistants Renee Matoe and Cushla Lichtwark.
“This league is definitely about growth,” Hoffman said.
She has also ready seen signs of that growth during their pre-season and with just two players returning from last year’s Grand Finalists, they were keen to see how they were tracking this weekend.
“We’ve got that mix of experience and youth which is exciting, and we’ve had a good build-up in terms of playing four pre-season games – three against the ACT Darts from Australia and one against the Southern Blast – so we feel we’re ready to get out there and get started.”
There are some familiar names in the side with former Pulse defender Paris Lokotui moving south while sisters of Tactix players Aliyah Dunn and Kimiora Poi, Tyra Dunn and Ashleigh Poi, are also in the side.
Tactix training partners Julia Wynands and Taiana Day are also part of Mainland as well as Tactix apprentice players Kate Littlejohn and Emma Thompson.
Young Christchurch shooters Te Atu Hassan and Emily Hargreaves will be players to watch as they make their SHNL debuts.
The Synergy Hair Netball League Grand Final will be played at TSB Arena in Wellington on 14 May with the two top-ranked teams to go head-to-head.