Southerners ‘Steel’ Title That Pulse ‘Frew’ Away

By The Spotter

Boy, they have guts. Back-to-back champs, no less. So, let’s be truthful and equitable- if a Rugby Union team had done what the Southern Steel achieved in coming back so very improbably against the definitive bookies’ favourites, the Central Pulse in Sunday’s Beko NZ Netball League Final, we’d all be full of it. In fact they’d be enough pages written in those olden-day things called newspapers to wrap up a few weeks worth of Blue Cod and Chips.

With the Pulse totally in control at 22-11, what hope is left when even your own mayor raises the white flag on you? “Haw haw, I’d given up on them” cackled Mayor Tim. That was the Aucklander part of him showing through. Sorry, Deep South- you’d think he’d been down there long enough to realise a team from your region of the country, with the pedigree they possess and with the no small matter of ten national league titles since start of the semi-professional era in netball, would ever throw in the towel. Good God, it’s almost cause enough to offer up his resignation.

Remember this from last year? Chances are you might be a bit hazy on it because one of the major news networks didn’t even have it among their lead stories at the time it happened:

The accident happened right on finals time. They played straight after. And won. It meant they went through 2017 unbeaten. Not even a single-goal loss. Superlative.

If the Steel don’t get at least some very serious consideration or preferably a nomination in the Team category at the next Halberg Awards Dinner, then I’m not going to waste one more second of ever watching that farce of a programme again.

And to think, it was only a year or two back when a pair of media personalities basically implied that netball players didn’t deserve to be paid for playing. Words fail. One of them is still a regular on the airwaves as well. Go figure.

To communicate: talltree@xtra.co.nz (Paul).

*I registered with Twitter over a year ago. I will post a message…one day. Give me a follow and I may just do it!