The Trident Homes Tactix head to the 2023 ANZ Premiership pre-season tournament in Ōtaki with a number of targets in mind but a clear focus from the coach to work on combinations.
It is the first time since 2021 that the event has been held in what is generally the last big hit-out for teams heading into the national league which starts on 4 March, last year’s competition curtailed by Covid.
The Tactix will play four games – including match-ups against the Mystics, Pulse, Stars and Magic – over the three days in an event which is a highlight for many with its cultural significance and chance to stay together on the marae at the Te Wānanga o Raukawa campus in Ōtaki.
Tactix coach Marianne Delaney-Hoshek said they were looking forward to meeting four of the other Premiership teams as they eye their season opener in just over two weeks.
“It really is an opportunity to bed in those combinations and ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to our structures,” she said.
“But it’s also a good chance for us to see everyone else in action and how that fits in with our strategies.”
Delaney-Hoshek was pleased with her team’s outing in Timaru last weekend where they played the Steel twice and got everyone on court including the Tactix’ latest arrival, England international Laura Malcolm.
“Laura’s fitted in really well and hit the ground running,” she said. “She hadn’t even had a training with us and got on court in Timaru. People who didn’t know that she’d just arrived, wouldn’t have picked up that she hadn’t trained with the side.
“She’s very calm but also brings a lot of energy. We had an analysis session and she left that confident that she was speaking the same language so we’re looking forward to seeing her out on court more.”
It is a new-look Tactix side with new faces in each area of the court, and with four players having been involved in last month’s Quad Series in South Africa, their time together in Ōtaki becomes even more important.
“Having four out with the Quad Series has had an impact but it’s also allowed us to work hard with the new players which has definitely been a positive,” Delaney-Hoshek said.
“We’ve been going since November, and I know the players are just looking forward to getting out on court for some actual game time.
“But we are a bit limited with the workload for individuals and it is four games in quick succession over the weekend, so we’ll just need to be smart how we work those combinations,” she said.
Trident Homes Tactix in Ōtaki:
Friday, 17 February – vs Mystics, vs Pulse
Saturday, 18 February – vs Stars
Sunday, 19 February – vs Magic
