• Otane netballers ready for tough assignments

Otane netballers ready for tough assignments

Accuse Otane Force of being under done in Hawke's Bay's Super 8 club netball competition at your peril.

Unbeaten Thirsty Whale Otane Force have yet to play the three teams immediately below them on the points table, either in grading matches or the round robin to date this season but player-coach Annemarie Kupa said her troops are prepared for them. Otane were scheduled to meet the first of those teams, third placed BM Accounting HHSOG Huia, in Taradale's Pettigrew-Green Arena on Friday night.

However Hawke's Bay Netball general manager Tina Arlidge confirmed this morning there will be no netball in the province this week.

"Friday night's Super 8 round will be postponed to a later date," Arlidge said.

When the competition resumes fans can expect Otane to be as dominant as they were in the first three rounds of the round robin.

"We've been working hard at trainings and we've been pushing each other. We've been building the intensity each week and simulating tough situations. Our shooting players have been able to train against the best defence in the league within our own team and they have taken some hard knocks at training," Kupa explained.

"I'm confident if we keep to our structures we can maintain our unbeaten run when we come up against the tougher teams," Kupa said.

She was looking forward to watching her players adjust to the man-on-man defensive system she expected Huia coach Irene van Dyk to use.

"We haven't had any of that yet but we've been working on our units at training so we can cope with it."

While Otane's top shooter, Millie Ironside, will be available on Friday night she won't be when Otane take on defending champions Napier Girls' High School and Tremains All In Elusive later in the season.

"We're lucky we have the luxury of depth," Kupa added.

The other 7.30pm game in the postponed round will see Vet Services Central Sports take on Optimise Physio Outkast Sports, a match Central must win in their quest for a top-four finish this season.

In 6pm games All In Elusive will start as favourites against Hastings Girls' High School and Napier Girls' High School should prove too strong for House of Travel Havelock North Kauri.