Tactix working with Silver Ferns’ medical staff over Jane Watson return

Jane Watson
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The Tactix could be without influential defender Jane Watson again when the side hosts the Stars in a must win game in Christchurch this Sunday.

Watson had to sit out last weekends ANZ Premiership double-header after sustaining a left foot injury.

The Tactix suffered a 24 goal loss to the Mystics in her absence and a 54-45 loss to the Pulse to drop to fourth on the ladder with just three rounds to go.

Coach Marianne Delaney-Hoshek said they didn’t know yet whether Watson will be taking the court this week.

“She’s not necessarily ruled out but we’re just working through it day by day.”

The Silver Ferns’ defender was sidelined for a few months in 2021 when she had an operation to her left ankle for a general clean-out and to rebuild ligaments.

“It may be related but we’re not 100 percent sure but it’s the same side.”

Delaney-Hoshek said the team’s medical staff were in communication with the Silver Ferns’ medical staff.

“The medical teams are really aligned. We work together side by side because obviously the year is bigger than just the Tactix it is a big year for the Silver Ferns so we are obviously mindful of that.

“So whatever decisions are made are made with the best interests potentially of the Silver Ferns first but kind of together if that makes sense because we need to make sure that she’s ready for that too.”

The Tactix have spent time this week on their connections.

“The thing to remember is we lost Greer [Sinclair] as well a couple of weeks ago so some of our errors are basic connection things with having new people on the court, things like that on attack.

“The last two games we had errors even from our defence which usually don’t happen so we’ve just got some connection things to work on. Everyone needs to reduce their error rate probably by one and then we’ll be winning games.”

Tactix coach Marianne Delaney-Hoshek
Photo: Photosport

While the side missed Watson, in the loss to the Mystics the Tactix centre pass to goal rate was well down, which can’t be explained by the defender’s absence.

And in the game against the Pulse, a tentative Aliyah Dunn was replaced by Vika Koloto for a spell in the second half.

“We got a bit stationary and Vika brings on a lot of energy and Te Paea was our dominant shooter at that point so I couldn’t take her off.

“We were limited as well because our other option at wing attack Parris Petera was sick so limited in what we could do but I actually thought that change worked really well. And it meant Aliyah could have a look on the sideline and come back on.

“That change got us back to within one again …I was really proud of the effort and the fight back but definitely we’ve got work to do down in the attack end and sometimes it’s just a little bit of trust I think.”

The Stars sit one spot above the Tactix on the table and the fight to finish in the top three for a finals berth couldn’t be tighter.

Delaney-Hoshek said the game on Sunday will feel like a final.

“Absolutely, we kind of have already talked about that because we don’t want to have to rely on other results. It’s up to us, we really need to win these next three games to give ourselves a shot at the finals really.”

But the Tactix coach said the team was feeling confident.

“We’re ready to attack this one. There was obviously some frustration and disappointment especially in that Pulse game because we had done so well for most of the game and then we just let it slip at the end.”

She said there wasn’t time after Watson got injured to get a proper training in before last weekend’s round but she thought the defensive end built over the weekend.

“It was a massive weekend I think for everybody and it’s been a massive few weeks just with injuries and things. We’re just ready to move on and we know we can still make the finals so that’s what we’ll be attempting to do.”