Pulse Looking For Big Lift Against Stars

Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse are seeking a quick return to form when they face off against a rejuvenated Stars team in Round three of the ANZ Premiership netball league in Auckland on Saturday.

The Pulse will go into the match with some repair work to be done after being ambushed by the Mystics in the latest round while the Stars overcame injury woes and a bereavement within the group to post an emotive and confidence-boosting win against the Tactix.

Well-used to their own battles with injury, the Stars situation is not lost on the Pulse.

”When a team goes through so much adversity and hardship, it brings people together and they were playing for more than just the game in their last outing,’’ Pulse shooter Amelia Walmsley said of the Stars.

”I think they’ve come together really well, they’re such a strong side and definitely not a team that you want to under-estimate.

”They showed they’ve got some real good skill and they’re a team who plays possession well. They’re gritty and can grind it out, so we need to find a way to expose that and reduce their possession by forcing errors and turnovers. It’s going to be a big game.’’

Disappointed with their last performance which was littered with soft errors and turnovers has provided a timely reality check.

”If you’re going to lose, you want to lose early (in the season) and get on top of it quick,’’ the lofty southpaw shooter said.

”That game definitely wasn’t a reflection of how hard we work and the potential we have as a team. It was disappointing and the analysis we’ve done has brought out that we just need to nail the basics and control what we can control, doing our own jobs better and tidying things up.

”I was slightly disappointed in my performance after last week. We hold ourselves to a higher standard and we didn’t quite meet that, so I’ve got a lot more work to do in order to make sure the defence against me don’t look good,’’ she said.

Happy with how her actual shot is working, Walmsley is currently sitting on a 92 percent success rate.

Still refining and defining her craft in the circle, Walmsley, the 21-year-old, 1.92m target at the front end of the Pulse court, has made major strides since gaining her first fulltime contract fresh out of Howick College in 2022.

Thrust into the starter’s role in 2023, Wamsley has continued to stamp her mark, quickly gaining promotion to the 2023-24 Silver Ferns squad while improving all the time across all facets and with her best yet to come.

That has led to the unique opportunity of her being available for selection in both the NZU21 team for the Netball World Youth Cup 2025 (September) in Gibraltar and the Silver Ferns for the Constellation Cup Series against the Australian Diamonds in October.

The decision to make herself available for both campaigns was not taken lightly.

“This was an incredibly difficult decision, but one I feel truly privileged to be in a position to make,” she said.

“With a carefully tailored schedule from the Silver Ferns high performance team, I’m confident I can fully commit to both NZU21 and Silver Ferns campaigns should the opportunity arise.’’

Walmsley is keen to experience the environment of a Netball World Youth Cup and represent her age group one final time while expanding her leadership abilities and challenging herself against a variety of international styles.

“Equally important to me is the opportunity to return to the Silver Ferns space after the tournament, if selected. Wearing the black dress is something I never take for granted, and I believe that what I could gain in the NZU21 environment would only strengthen what I can offer in the Silver Ferns environment,’’ she said.

“If I get the opportunity to come back and play in the Constellation Cup series, it will give me the chance to continue to grow and learn, further establish myself in this space, and continue to strive towards selection for future campaigns. Ultimately, this decision allows me to gain the best of both worlds.”

Studying part-time, Walmsley is halfway through a digital marketing degree through Massey University.

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