Pulse 43 Tactix 31
Fourth quarter
Dunn puts the game beyond reach with consecutive goals to open and 11-goal lead, before Ekenasio puts the seal on victory near the edge of the circle.
The final siren sounds and Pulse have gone back-to-back, leading from start to finish.
McCausland-Durie's final game as coach, Rore's 150th in the Pulse inform - a fitting celebration of both milestones.
Central Pulse 43 (Dunn 28/30, Ekenasio 15/18) Mainland Tactix 31 (Bird 19/23, Selby Rickit 12/13)
10th minute: Tme has run out on the Tactix, as Rore makes an intercept and Dunn puts the Pulse 10 points ahead again. Pulse 40-30.
Eighth minute: Dunn is also experiencing speed wobbles, missing her second for the match, but gathers the rebound to score. Pulse are just easing clear again, 37-29.
Sixth minute: Ekenasio misses uncharacteristically from underneath goal, allowing Tactix to stay in contact, but makes no mistake from further out next time Pulse 35-28.
Fourth minute: Bird cuts the deficit to five goals and the Tactix defence has turned up the heat on the Pulse feeders. Pulse 33-27.
Second minute: Gordon has returned to court for the final quarter - Pulse lost the third period 11-8 without her.
Tactix need to string some goals together, if they want to challenge - and it needs to happen quickly. Alley is doing everything she can, as is Poi. Pulse 32-26.
Third quarter
Elley forces another turnover and the Tactix are making a run at the champions. Poi can't haul in a bullet pass down the sideline.
Tactix close within six goals in the final minute, but Dunn restores some control for the Pulse with a goal as the quarter ends.
Both teams are shooting at a very high level, with Dunn/Ekenasio combining for just three misses, but Bird and Selby-Rickit missing just five of their 28 attempts.
10th minute: Tactix defence need to make some plays to get their team back in the contest and Elley obliges to spark a run, Pulse 30-22.
Eighth minute: Metuarau isbetter known inside the shooting circle, but finds Dunn open under goal, Pulse 29-19.
Sixth minute: Pulse are holding their advantage at 10 or thereabouts for now, with Dunn and Ekenasio only missing three atempts between them, Pulse 27-18.
Fourth minute: Poi is a dynamo for the Tactix in midcourt and her team closes within 10.
Second minute: Tiana Metuarau has replaced Maddy Gordon at the Pulse wing attack for the third quarter.
Second Quarter
After closing to within seven goals midway through the quarter, the Tactix have slipped to a double-figure deficit again at halftime, with the Pulse closing out the period with a 4-1 run.
After shooting 13/13, Dunn finally misses, but Pulse regain the rebound for Ekenasio to score.
10th minute: Consecutive goals from Bird eat into the Pulse lead, 19-12.
Eighth minute: Tactix defence of Watson and Fokohakatau are keeping their team in this, but the Pulse build patiently, Pulse 19-10.
Sixth minute: Tactix have nibbled away at the lead with consecutive goals to Bird and Selby Rickit, then Watson steals the ball from the Pulse shooters, Pulse 17-9.
Fourth minute: Bird finally snaps the Pulse run, but Jury immediately intercepts a pass to set up another attack. Pulse build a 10-point lead, 17-7.
Second minute: Pulse have quickly built on their first-quarter lead, forcing two turnovers and adding another four unanswered goals, stretching their run to eight, Pulse 15-6.
First Quarter
The Pulse close out the quarter with four unanswered goals to establish their dominance early. Aliyah Dunn is currently faultless from her seven shots at goal.
Tactix were whistled for 16 penalties, compared to the Pulse's nine. That was their lowest-scoring quarter of the season.
11th minute: Pulse defence making life difficult for Tactix feeders and their attack is profitting, Pulse 9-6.
Ninth minute: Spectacular work by Gordon and Ekenasio down the court, but the shooter cannot finish, Pulse 7-5.
Seventh minute: After a strong Pulse start, this game has evened out, with the Tactix defence working hard to create chances for the attack, Pulse 6-4.
Fifth minute: Selby Rickit put Tactix on the board and Poi has a turnover to create a second goal, Pulse 4-3.
Third minute: Dunn and Ekenasio have their eye in earlier, then Pulse create another turnover for Ekenasio to establish a three-goal margin early, Pulse 3-0
First minute: Poi has the first centre pass for Tactix, but Bird is penalised at the attacking end.
Starting line-ups are in, with few surprises from either coach.
Pulse: GS-Dunn, GA-Ekenasio, WA-Gordon, C-Kersten, WD-Burger, GD-Rore, GK-Jury
Tactix: GS-Bird, GA-Selby-Rickit, WA-Pedersen, C-Poi, WD-Elley, GD-Watson, GK-Fakahokotau
Ekenasio was missing from the Pulse's last outing - their loss to the Tactix, but is ready to go tonight.
Pulse Yvette McCausland-Durie is coaching her last game at this level - for now anyway - so that will be added incentive for her team.
*****
Kia ora, good evening and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the ANZ Premership netball final between defending champions Central Pulse and their challengers, Mainland Tactix.
Tonight's clash sees a classic duel between the titleholders, who reeled off a 10-game unbeaten run to start their interrupted 2020 campaign, and the 'Cinderella' story of this year's competition - a team that perenially finish at or near the bottom of the table.
This Tactix outfit is not the same one that has underachieved over so many seasons though. As this year's edition began, many were picking them as the team to push the Pulse hardest and that has proved accurate.
The Christchurch-base side, which slid into insolvency during the first nationwide coronavirus lockdown and was taken over by Netball NZ, struggled in the early going, but finished strongly, even upsetting an admittedly understrength Pulse in their most recent outing.
The Wellingtonians had earlier lost their unbeaten run to Northern Mystics, but have otherwise dominated this year's field and must be favoured to repeat.
TAB: Pulse $1.37, Tactix $2.80
Verbal sparring begins in build-up to ANZ Premiership final
The war of words between Mainland Tactix and Central Pulse captains has begun before their highly anticipated ANZ Premiership on Sunday.
On Saturday, both sides flew to south Invercargill for the decider, taking some heated words with them.
When the Tactix toppled the Pulse in the last match of the ANZ Premiership's regular season, they clearly gained confidence.
Tactix captain Jane Watson declares the Pulse is far from the same team that won 12 months ago, saying: "They're not a team that is where they were.
"People are getting closer to them, and I think they've worked out ways and strategies to combat them," Watson adds.
That theory follows two losses in the Pulse's last three games - before that, they were unbeaten through 10 games - but is that enough to make the defending champions outsiders against the Tactix?
"It's awesome that the Tactix are thinking like that," says Pulse skipper Katrina Rore. "By the sounds of it, underdogs now... we'll take that.
"I think the TAB is the only one that has us as favourites."
Pulse shooter Ameliaranne Ekenasio believes everyone wants the Tactix to win, due to their sudden surge up the rankings.
"I think everyone likes to have a bit of chat around finals," she says. "Everybody is going to back Tactix, because they've never made a final before."
Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 Level 2 gathering restrictions, that backing won't be as vocal as they'd hoped, but there will still be plenty of noise courtside.
"We've got a pretty loud bench, so I think they'll be absolutely fine," says Watson.
For now, both teams seem to have no issue making plenty of noise off the court.
