With the ANZ Premiership final just hours away, Jeff heshire looks at three ways the Southern Steel can beat the Central Pulse.
Keep the Pulse attack quiet
Tonight's game pits the ANZ Premiership's best defence against its best attack.
However, it will probably be at the other end where the game is won and lost.
As good as the Pulse defence is, it has struggled to contain the Steel, conceding 63, 80 and 64 goals in their three meetings so far.
The reality is this Steel team will score goals, probably more than 60, meaning a team has to be capable of scoring that many to beat it.
When it has been pushed this year, it has been by teams that have done that.
Is the Pulse capable of doing that?
It has broken 60 just once this season and scores an average of 52 a game.
If the Steel defence can keep it to around those numbers, it would be a surprise if the Steel's attack at the other end did not have enough to get the job done.
Rebounding
The Pulse defensive duo of Phoenix Karaka and Katrina Grant have pulled in 26 and 24 rebounds respectively this season.
That has them second and third in the premiership in that statistic and ensures teams rarely get second-chance goals against them.
However, it is something that has not translated to its games against the Steel.
The duo has grabbed six rebounds in their three games against the southern team, while Steel goal shoot Jhaniele Fowler-Reid has grabbed 13 herself.
Te Paea Selby-Rickit and Jennifer O'Connell have also grabbed seven between them.
Of a potential 26 defensive rebounds, the Pulse have managed only six.
That is potentially 20 goals, or just under seven a game, it is giving up that it normally would not.
Limit Tuivaiti's shots
Pulse goal shoot Cathrine Tuivaiti is the premiership's most accurate shooter, making 457 goals at 95%.
Against the Steel she has missed just five, although crucially has taken only 83 across the three games.
To put that into context, Fowler-Reid took 70 in one of those three.
That is probably a product of the Pulse's reluctance to take longer shots. However, keeping the ball away from a 95% shooter is key.
The Steel has done a good job of that this season, particularly in the second game against the Pulse, when it forced 37 turnovers in an 80-44 win.
