This week, we talk to former Silver Fern captain Casey Kopua to discuss her coming out of retirement to play in Australia's Suncorp Super Netball.
Casey shares why she said 'yes' to the return, how she enjoyed being back on court and what the future holds for the remainder of the season.
We also look back at what we have dubbed 'The Blow Out Round' of the ANZ Premiership and take a look at this weekends match ups!
Inside Netball is the podcast to get you closer to the game you love!
Former Silver Ferns Adine Wilson and Anna Stanley along with commentator Jenny Woods drill down on the big issues and celebrate the big moments.
Three of the biggest names in netball scrutinise every shot, both on and off the court!
LISTEN ABOVE
On inside, therefore getting you closer to the game you love with Nadine Wilson, Anna Stanley and Jenny wood so by news talks that'd be Jodi Koto and welcome to Inside Netball. Well hard to believe. We are heading into the halfway mark of this A and Z Premiership. Plenty to get through today as we review what you could only argue as being the blowout round. We had a silver fan legend come out of retirement who will chat with very shortly, and the Magic Yeeha got their first win of the competition. And we've got the full Inside NETWLL team back on board today Jenny and a Dean while ladies, I don't know what was more surprising Casey Corpus is saying yes to the Giants coach Julie Fitzgerald or the two am Z games being won by over twenty goals.
Jenny Well, I was actually more dismayed by the Mystics loss to the Tactics by eleven, because the minute you saw that Wollin wasn't there, I thought, oh my god, this is Wiki being injured all over again last year and my heart sank really.
And we don't know about wallin this still saying the latest press release we've seen is she needs more specialist tests, so obviously don't know that could be it. She may have only played three games for the Mystics, but I was so surprised but rapped that. Casey said, yes, I think it is a very cool example of just putting yourself out there, giving a go, bringing that amazing experience she never got to experience sn SCN she now has, I think so cool. Well, I would have thought at the ten to age of thirty nine she would have been content on kicking back in mad noa matter running around her after her three children, but no running around on the netble court is what she knows. She has one hundred and twelve test scaps to her name, is one of seven centurions to have played for the Ferns, and she joins us now before she has to jump back on a plane and head across the Testament to reconnect with her new giants' teammates.
Inside that ball.
Welcome to inside Netble case Well, first, leagu lady, you survived the sixty minutes out on court. Questions, how's the body feeling? And secondly what exercise if we sort of rewind back to a week before you got asked by Julie, what would a typical exercise week have looked like for Casey corpor to prepare herself for the Sun Corp.
Yeah, well, hello, it's definitely not not planned. But I guess my week would have been. I go to the gym five to six times a week.
That's why she's good, really.
Purely for my mental health, to set me up for a good day, make me be a good mum and just be in a better mood, and I guess be functional. And then I was playing socially competitive netball once a week at a club level.
Socially competitive, what does that look like? Socially competitive?
You still got to go hard if you need to, and I was playing a goal tech role, so some days it was good for fitness. Just have a good run around, get a good blowout.
Yeah, so that really has allowed you. After sixty minutes in the sun Corp, you're feeling not too bad.
Yeah, that was just purely I think my stubbornness in my top two inches.
You just had to get through it because.
I probably wasn't quite prepared that I would be on there for sixty minutes to be honest, I wasn't even prepared to start. Like in my head, I thought, you know, like, oh, I went to training.
I thought cool, you know, like that went well.
I took those things off and made it through that and then we'll just see how the game goes. And the next minute starting goalkeeper, whole sixty minutes and I was able to walk the next day.
So it was winds all round for me.
But I know you obviously have an amazing relationship with Julie, But but why did you say yes? Like what what was it in you that went damn it, I'm just going to do this because we know you were as super busy lady. You've got a job, you've got children, just you know why.
Yeah, I know, I know, And it was more like why not? For me?
Was always something that I was intrigued by when I was playing in New Zealand. Obviously you couldn't go over there and play.
And I guess this.
Opportunity will never come around again. And probably the main reason is losing my dad a couple of months ago. And if he was here, he would have told me, for loss, you've got to go.
You cannot turn.
This down and just do whatever you can pretty much to make it work. And that's what we're doing, even though we are both full time workers, three kids, coaching, training, yeah, doing lots and lots of other stuff.
What is it about Julie Fitzgerald that she seems to evoke this like you and you said yourself before the game, you wouldn't have answered yes to any other coach? What is it about her?
I feel like she is actually very similar to Knowles and cares about you as a person, and she values your worth.
And she's just a really, really a kind.
Lady that you really want to work hard for and you can commit to. And you know that she's as passionate and as committed as what you are. So then you've started sort of on the same level and.
You know she's always going to have you back no matter what.
So where was your hit at before you you ran out onto the court? Were you excited?
Were you nervous?
Did your kids and husband give you any advice before you win?
Out?
Well, like my my, my dad's words and Terry like they always would just give it shit no matter what when you get on that court, that's what you do. But to be honest, I was bloody scared a like it's so fast, and that first ball, like I for me, I always go on there and you always say hello to your opponent as like a sign of respect and then almost like hey have a good game.
Like i'll see at the end sort of thing. She didn't even didn't even acknowledge me.
I wondered what if she'd said or what you'd said.
No, she said nothing, and I was like, oh my gosh, that's so rude. Say hello, you know, like it's just a game of netball, Say hello.
And then get on with it.
But I got nothing, and I thought, you know, like me being stubborn, I was like, all right, off.
That's gonna be.
She did the wrong thing. It was the wrong thing.
Carry said, she did the wrong thing.
Ticked off number one, like she already doesn't want to talk to me.
Great, so they don't even do the huddles. I think the team huddles at the end, and he says, yeah, it's very separate.
And.
Yeah, I don't know, it's different. Like I was like, cool, like we're finished, let's get in a huddle. And even like with the Giants, they sort of just wandered off.
I was like, hold on, we haven't like.
You know, had closure on this one, you know, to go off sort of thing or that. I guess I'm a bit of a not a touchy feely but you know, like that sort of person. That's why you play knitballer is for those sort of moments in the game her And that probably shows my age a wee bit, but that's what you know, you look forward to at the end of the game, to celebrate the game of netball.
Two.
Yeah, do you think that's why? Because you know, as you you know, on social media, some people go, oh, you should bring in the young ones or you know, against springing and experience, but exactly what you're talking about is that why they bring in the experience, the people that understand culture, that understand the wider picture of what you can bring to the court that's not just your play.
Yeah, I think one hundred percent.
And I got a lot of private messages about me stopping people's pathways and really.
So people message you like critically.
So this is the you know, the keyboard warriors that put it on Facebook or put it out there, but then there's ones that come at you behind the scenes. And I actually forgot what that felt like for a while and then I just sort of fed or like I would never say that to anybody, and I'm just trying to help out a friend here. She's asked me, and I would never have said yes if I couldn't do it, so and I guess for me, that's a part of me giving back to netball, as well as sharing my experience and teaching the younger ones. You know, a few tricks, which some of them are like, Wow, I didn't even know you should do that.
That's all, yeah, because it has quite a young squad, isn't it. When Jamie Lee was off the court. I think I read somewhere that the oldest was twenty three.
Yeah, so there's me and then Joe and then Jamie Lee and the rest of the twenty three and under.
Yeah, what was it like playing with those two again, Joe Harton and Jamie Lee Price.
Oh, it's awesome. It's like you never left, you know. Last time, Jamie Lee was living with me as an eighteen year old in Hamilton, and now she's nearly thirty.
I'm nearly forty, and we're at.
Different stages and it's just so.
Cool to see her.
Like she's grown up and developed and moving on with her life as well.
But she's also.
Still very passionate and very very committed to Nick, which is really cool to see. And Joe, we always had that banter and we would still do. And I kept her accountable at training the other day and she's like, wow, thank you. You know, like usually she would have shot something, and I said.
Well, why don't you shoot it?
And she was like, I didn't really have an answer, And then we went back out and she shot the lights out and I was like, well, there you go, and she's like, Okay.
Again, that's why they've got you there. Like for anyone that questions why you bring in experience, I think you're answering all of those critics. Exactly what you're saying is certainly her leadership. So what does the next month look like for your case? I know you're about to jump on a plane and head across back to Sydney, But have they locked you in for the next few weeks?
We go week by week up until that first three weeks of the replacements, but there's definitely an option for me to go for the rest of the season over there.
And is that something you're quite keen to do? Yeah, you.
So I am as long as as long as like Terry and I. Obviously we've shuffled and tried to work our schedules and the villagers come back and to play again, you know, and you need that village to help with your children, and so we just yeah, we're making a plan to see if that if that's something that they want to do, then we can.
Be ready for that.
And like Terry and I have always said for each other, if it's something you really want to do, we'll support you and we'll make it work because it's something that you love doing.
So why not?
And what has a kid said?
Especially Maya will be really conscious to be able to watch you on TV. It's pretty special.
Yeah.
Well, they see the A n Z on TV and they go, look, Mum, it's you. And I'm like, oh no, that's not me, not me at all. And then when I told them that they I was going to be on TV and they could watch it. Luke, my youngest one, he sat and watched the whole game. Terry said, because he's the little Koala, he's the little one that's that the third child that's just a little clinger. And Myra and William watched till halftime, and then I brought her, brought them some gears home. They've worn it to school, they've taken photos to share of.
Marm you know, being back on TV.
So yeah, it's very cool, and that's that's another I guess the reason I'm doing it as well is to show them to be brave and put yourself back out there out there and challenge yourself and maybe a little bit of oh this is what Mum used to do.
Am I right in thinking you're playing the Firebirds this weekend?
Is that No, we're playing the Thunderbird.
Thunderbird, sorry, and that will be Ramelda, won't it. How long is it since you've marked up against Ramelda?
I don't even think at the last World Cup I didn't play against her because it was.
Janil and we didn't actually.
Play Jamaica, so long over years, six six or seven years, long time.
And you've got to hang in there until you play the Swifts because then you'll be up against Grace brilliant.
And I'm like, gosh, I still I can't jump like I used to.
So I'm going to figure out.
Some It's all about being in the right place at the right time. From what we saw you were doing that last week. In case, Hey, we've just got some fast five questions to finish, questions that we ask all our guests, so just answer them as quickly as you can.
Inside balls Fast five.
Best question case. If you could compete in any other sport, what would it be and why?
Oh, I'd love to play volleyball.
I used to play that at school and really enjoyed the fun factor of that. So and then just taking the aggression out on the ball. That was that something I used to love to do.
Yeah, Okay, If you.
Could invite three other athletes from any other sport, who would they be to the country, any other country, anywhere in the world, alive or dead.
I'd love Serena Williams.
I'd love to have dinner with her, Lebron James, just even just to meet him.
And probably the other one would be Roger.
Federer tennis and basketball very strong. Yeah, yeah, and a lot of people have been wanting to play volleyball. Now with this Giants team, you probably don't know them that well yet, but who in the team is most likely to get you into trouble and out of trouble?
The one that would get me into trouble would be Hope, because she's an eighteen year old out the gate and was saying that, you know, she wasn't even born when I first started playing for.
But someone that would get me out would be Joe.
Yeah, she's well I think she's experienced a talk out of trouble here.
If what would be your last supper meal? If you had one last meal to have on this earth, case, what would it be. It's going to have tomato sauce in it, have.
To go kidney and bacon, and how would it be? Cayzer, That's that's like my Saturday breakfast. That's so so young lambs fry. Yeah, but it's like.
A very fun breakfast. I think, very approche. Yeah, Okay, I think number five best piece of advice you were ever given.
Don't say no?
Can I say two?
Of course you can, yes, So one would be fake it till you make it, yeah, and then the other one would be it's not what people see you do, it's the stuff that you do behind the scenes that's the most important.
Very good, very good love Hey case, Well, we loved watching you on court last weekend. We're gonna love watching you for the next few weeks. All the best and hope the bod recovers.
Well, yeah, thank.
You very much, talking all things Nitball, inside Nedball, inside Neble.
Well lovely to hear from Casey. What a legend. I mean, really, I can't believe at thirty nine should go back, but body seems good. Fake it? Do you make it? Should be faking it for for the next week while I imagine how good hagn and I loved. You know, she's obviously reasonably fit. She's been doing if she said, everybody five five or six days a week, and I love that she emphasized why she did that, that was her time out, you know, for her mental health. I think that's really cool. So so much of what she said I just found so inspiring. I held back the tears a few times. Luckily, you know, I was trying to not look at the camera because I just, you know, you feel it was that's a feel good interview. I felt really good coming away from that and hearing her reasons why she's there and what she's brought to the you know, even just the fact that it's brought more people talking about Netbull. That's stuff we love.
I love the bit about the interaction with Sophie Garbine because I just thought, oh, that's so Australian, you know, and I love the but Casey wouldn't have heard it. But in commentary Kath Cox was just waxing lyrical about her and I think at one point one of the players fell over. These Australian players, well, i'll all be Australian, and you know, Casey stopped to pick her up and and Cox says, o, O, case we don't do that over here. It was it was funny.
I mean, she was pretty impressive because you know, you can talk about if forty five I don't know if if forty five really prepares you do you do lots of jumping and agility any forty five like it's all I would active and it's a good workout, but it's nothing like running around on the netblele court. So obviously it just naturally came back to her.
I wonder if being put at the goalkeeper because you're not it's probably the least active.
Yeah, but you're still got that explosive that's when you do your calves, you go touch words. But I didn't just say that out loud today, but you know that's that's still that real explosive.
You can read the game, and that's where she was always so good at reading the game. And I could see that she was talking to. Was that Aaron O'Brien who'd moved to gold defense to make yeah, to make way for her, and I think she would have learnt so much.
It's the netwile brain. Okay, Well, speaking about brains, let's let's look at what went down over round four. It was really the blowout round losing average of nineteen goals across three three times three games. Let's let's start with the tactics mystics. So I think, what did we all picked Laus last week? Were you miss sticks?
You two?
No?
I think we went because so obviously no Wollom. It was a sixty one fifty win to the Tactics. For me, the Tactics a bit like the Magic just starting to find their groove a little bit more. I really liked the performance of tapaias alby Rickett. Her stats were really impressive, and you look at her feeds and we often talk about how she needs to get in the circle quicker because she congests the outside of the circle. She does play a third feeding role and her feeds were thirty one and if you compare that to the queen of feeds over the course of four rounds, which would probably be Toyava. I mean she sat on thirty seven, so she's putting in just as close to as many feeds as Toyava. So tp was impressive for me. And at the back fifty from.
Fifty from fifty, I was sort of but then I'm not surprised. But then they missed three goals between them, the whole team, you know, and I just wondered, if the tactics are coming good.
That's why we all picked them in our top three. Well that's why we picked the Magic.
And the Magic are coming up slowly behind.
They are, but interesting. I listened to Ali Bird on an interview and someone asked her, you know why she's just playing with such confidence at the moment, and she said that she's removed all these limitations. She used to be so hard on herself and have all these expectations, and she's just gone into the air going, actually, I'm just going to play. I'm not going to have all these rules. And as a result, she's playing good netbol and it's a bit of a headache for Don's because you know she's got salmon bird and TP.
Salmon got what four minutes? I mean, what do you do with four minutes? I guess she has a plan.
And it's good too, because I think what the tactics have been smart as well as they haven't taken a lot of two point shots because they haven't needed to. They've just kept the score tacking over. So I think they've been very clever about that tactic as well. So obviously mistakes, no Wollom, big loss. They started with no Makayla sokoletch beats.
I don't know what that was about. What on earth was that about?
But did she add anything when she came on?
Well?
I think she did. I mean I wouldn't you be questioning if you went on without your captain and you were told there was no, no, nothing wrong with it, And I mean.
Clearly it's form. That's why she wasn't starting.
She's but she's been playing really well. I mean well, in my opinion, I've thought she's been playing a good wing defense game.
She got just as many intercepts as her defenders. She got a couple of intercepts, a few deflections, so she's picking up ball. Yeah, I'm unsure as to why. I just completely read that as they were giving TiO a go and perhaps weren't happy with the way Mikayla had been playing. But anyway, it was great that they got her on the court and the second half. By then it was too late. Mystics won the first quarter and the Tactics put their foot down for the last three. No Toyava at goal attack in that game.
She did though, didn't She didn't.
She went one.
Of two, one of two, and then I think it was quickly decided that that was not.
You go across to the stats and then you just quickly look at feeds thirty seven. There's a reason she needs to be at wing attack. She's the master. Yeah, And the reason why, I don't know. I'm not a fan of her at goal attack. You've got Hannah Glean who's actually been performing pretty well when she comes on the court. She got sixteen from twenty eighty percent. I'd be pretty miffed of us if I was here sitting on the bench and then a wing attack goes in the shortest in the whole competition.
She offers something so different, though, I mean, is that what they're looking for just something so drastically different.
Yeah, wow, it didn't Maybe would work for the mystics. Let's hope Wallam's wrist comes good, good soon. Okay, next time Pulse versus the Steel. Now, this was a massive you and I chose the Steel.
I was going with my heart, well, and I just went with the vibe.
Right. They came back within seven at one point the Steel, so they actually did quite well. But god, they got seven in the first quarter and five in the last quarter. I mean, attacking wise, that's pretty wife, wasn't it.
Look Leana Liota and Wendy Freu will be having nightmares over this game. I mean it was so bizarre. I mean that third quarter they won twenty one fourteen, but as you say, then the final quarter, you know, what on earth was going on? I mean, I just can't explain it. I think the Pulse were very, very good, and you can't argue with the performance of Amelia Walmsley. I mean, fifty from fifty one, but oh and the two point shooting. I must mention two of Tiana Maturo five from eight. So you know, I think they hit the Pulse on a good day. Yeah, and I felt for all that because apparently they had to bring more seats into the stadium. But I hope they come back again.
Well they do, they keep up. They are coming back because they were going into that game only winning one of twelve at home or something. But they're still turning up the fans and that shows you how Louel they are. But I agree with you, Jin, I think it said more about the pulse. They are playing some beautiful netbull That defensive trio, I know we talked about it last week. Joannie Mason and Jackson so good, and I mean they know Alia done, they know how to play Alia that she's used to being in their team, and I think they are just stepping it up the setting the standard defensively for the whole competition. And that's why they still only put up five goals or shot or got in five goals in that last quarter. Had done twenty four from thirty four the week before. She was forty one from forty two. So they really starved her of the ball. And that was telling, and that was Jackson and Mason. But perhaps you know a good indication that start. It's so hugely important. I think I switched on the TV when it was three to fourteen, and I thought, oh god, hard to come back from that when you know you're that far behind after fifteen minutes of netball. So but I think we'll agree that the steel will get better. And it was just one of those games that you just want to park up.
Which just find it inexplicable because they had been so good and then they've just taken a plunge.
Well, this is what we're noticing across the course of the Azy Premiership, the inconsistencies. If you were Nolling Total and you've got to pick a Ferns team at the end of this, you'd be pretty disappointed with the way or the lack of consistency amongst a lot of the top players. It's I mean, I think that's that's how I'm going to use it as an excuse where I were finding it hard to pick winners because you honestly don't know. I feel like it's just taken a hit. What do we know, questioning myself, Yeah, it's been. I think that's I think you've an though, it's been the inconsistency. One week, a team just plays the Stars two weeks ago were phenomenal again this week if you look at their last quarter against the Magic they only got eight goals. It was twenty two eight against Magic Stars. So why are we having these huge swings it is It is crazy and that seems to be something we are seeing this year in this premiership. Well, the Magic Stars the last game, I think I commentated this one. Loved watching it because this is the reason why we all had the Magic in our top three. For me, watching Toui and Echinaco back to their best, and I said it in commentary, on any given day, those two are the best shooting combination across the AZ Premiership. For one, because I as a player, I loved playing with fast, edgile, accurate shooters. I love watching fast shooters. I love the rotation, you know, I don't just love seeing teams bombit into shooters at the back. And that's what Toy was so good at. She's so edgile, she can jump. She showed her elevation. So for me, that attacking six eight from seventy five, you compare that to the previous week where they were forty from forty eight. So they got service of ball and they're attacking were humming.
Gin Well they were, and I bet you what Savia too, he would have said hello to Casey.
Yes, she would have given.
Yes, I think so. But of course they also too. They've got the comfort of knowing they're playing the Stars again next week, so you know that'll be quite good. But the thing that I know, well, it couldn't help. But notice it was that the Stars didn't score for the final five minutes of that game. There was just nothing going on.
Eleven points eleven points the Magic scored and that's right.
So you know, I you'd like to think that, you know, MJ's got them going nicely down the highway and that they'll continue. Well.
I hope Nolan's watching Georgie Edgcumbe because her at wing defense has been outstanding. Her numbers again, intercepts, deflections, pack up, she was everywhere. And we've spoken about before Gin. You know that wing defense position. If they they can make such a massive influence, like we've talked about Yuani as well off, it can be hard to make an effronce. Absolutely, and that's why I think when you are and you were picking up so much ball, that just shows what influence she's having, and not only on defense. I love the way she's bringing the ball through court. I always used to last year sometimes be worried about her attacking play. I'm not worried at all. She looks confident, she's driving it through, she's got great vision, and it's all coming together what we thought we were going to see from the Magic after such a good preseason. It's taken them a few rounds. They studn't hit a stride and talking about stats, Claire O'Brien, forty seven feeds if we're looking at you know the numbers, So we are consistently sits around thirty seven, thirty eight Claire O'Brien. In the last two weeks. It was forty eight feeds last week, forty seven feeds this week. So I think she's making a difference as well. In that goal circle. She's getting good service of ball in to twy and Ichanacio on the flip side the Stars. For me, Charlie Bow she can be good. I mean I did that Mystic Stars game in the first round and she was very strong under the hoe. I was like, Wow, this is going to be good for the Stars, but it was. She dropped a few balls in that game. She looked vulnerable under the hope I think I.
Looked vulnerable if I was being marked by Nkyrie.
And they really had no answers, so she had to go to the bench, and that's when Wilson and Faulkner came on. And perhaps maybe that could have happened a little bit earlier because she just looked like she wasn't herself the whole game.
Well, the good news for the Stars is, as you will know, is that Kate Burley is coming back next week, or says she is. And that was great hearing from her directly. But you know, they had that shocking start to the season and then they you know, they came back and they got that win and then you thought, all right, they're going to be all right. But now, you know, I'm just not quite so sure. I mean, Kate Burley is only one player. She's a very strong player. But let's hope she can bring that defensive end into some kind of uniformity.
And it will be interesting do they keep Kayla Johnson? You know, when you've got Kate coming back, will they keep her there? Because you know, when it comes down to it, that costs by bringing in another player and keeping that other player. It's money. As we know, there's not a whole lot of money going around right at this moment, so do you keep her? You know, we've just talked about keeping experienced players within the Macks. Well, Burley and Johnson on the on the line would be pretty impressive, woun't it, Burley Goldie, Yeah, who is normally goal keep remy, come remy. You can afford it, yes.
Yeah, yeah, buddy, Casey is getting oh good.
Yeah, I don't know those contracts. I wonder what you just hope with Casey that and I know she won't, but you just don't want that legacy of hers to be compromised by going back and playing right. She's had such a stellar Career's allegied one hundred and twelve Test caps, she's a centurion, and you just hope that legacy is not compromised by going back. I don't think it will. Because people think it's compromising, then they don't understanding. So that I always going to know when your time's up as well, you know, like Jiva Mentors just just retired after how many years? Yeah, but I love that like for me, as we heard her say, she's doing it for all the right reasons. Who gives us stuff if you have. Maybe she's not going to play like she used to play. That is, she knows that, that's we all know that. But she's picking up enough. But and I just I love her reasoning for going back and doing it. And it's not just what she's doing on court. For me, it's everything around that court. Is the experience she's bringing to that that wide a groupment. And perhaps that's what Kayla's bringing as well to the stars, that experience of what it feels like to be down, how you pull yourself back up, how you have to just lift up when you have been smoked a couple of weeks in a row. And that's the experience piece. I think that's one of the one of the biggest reasons why Julie FitzGeralds brought her back is for that leadership. You know, as she said, such a young squad. When Jamie Lee left the court the other day, there was that the oldest player was twenty three. So I reckon she's been given some instructions to go in there and help with the culture, help with the experience, and keep people accountable. How good was it Helen Howsboro, She hasn't seen her for aging She's like, mate, why didn't you shoot it like brilliant? Love it? No one else is going.
To say hard I think Joe Harden, Sorry Joe Harder, but I think too, what is the Jolie still going? She younger than she must be late foes, no mint to late Jeeva mentor Let's just talk about her quickly because she has retired. She's going to ended the twenty five season, one hundred and seventy five tests for England, twenty four year career, fifteen seasons in Australia, six Commonwealth Games, six World Cups.
I mean sex Adean, I remember, do you remember? And I thought that was a lot. Does it say when her debut was, because I don't know if this was her debut was the first I'm playing in New Zealand, I was still playing, yes, And I remember because she was against Irene and I remember this young girls in Palmerston North and she came on against Irene and I'll be honest, she was terrible and I was thinking, this is excellent. I could just throw this ball in, there's no problem. Well, she certainly wasn't terrible. The next time when we played England, she was outstanding and I think she's gone on to have a phenomenal career and six has anyone else played sex Gene, You're good at these sorts of staffs. He's the midy from England.
Yeah, yes, Jade Clark.
Very long.
But she has showed what's that word? She's been traveling across three continents to play in this.
She suld play in New Zealand? Did she didn't she even know? Not for New Zealand.
She the Vixens.
I think Buxton's Magpies Lightning. I think she's around, but.
I mean she's I think she's living in France now, living in her bloke and traveling so far just to get to each game, and I mean extraordinary efforts.
Yeah, so maybe sure.
I think she get it deserved, deserzar rests.
And imagine how first ankles have been strapped for twenty five years or so. I mean, those poor ankles, because I've got calves that have got dents in them, permanent dents from wearing ankle braces my whole life. I have permanent deeps. She probably laser from, you know, halfway down your calf because it's been stripped off by all that take the whole time okay, Well, looking ahead to round five, of course, that's the halfway mark, which means all the teams are playing each other for the second time. And we just talked about earlier Stars Magic they were last round and they are backing it up again. You both are doing that one at Paul mind arena. Who are we picking for that one? Well, I mean, how can you go past the Magic? Yeah, I'm just can't get past. I'm mad Joe, And.
If they keep playing like that, I think my prediction will come true.
Yeah, I do hate that they only played last week and they're playing yet. I know there'll be a reason about venues, but it's still a little bit yick. But anyway, I'm definitely Magic. Yeah, I'm magic too. I reckon they're getting their mojo back and they're going to kick on Pulse mistakes.
Now.
The last time these two teams meet, remember the Pulse were sort of all out of sorts and the Mystics won that. But I think with obviously no Wallom, there's that real injury cloud around that rest of hers, which I hope it's not significant, because if they lose her for the rest of the year, that's going to be quite a biggie, I'm going pulse for that one.
Yeah, me too, And I think again it's got You know, it looks a bit similar to the Wiki thing last year when she was out for a few weeks and they just I don't think they're won without her.
It looked like though, when she did go down, it looked like they'd strapped it up and she was about to come down on the phi. Do you know what adrenaline's like though, When you first do an and jury, you go oh, and then you're like no, no, I'm good, and then you cool down and you're like, oh, maybe not so Apparently she's broken that risk before, and if it is right near that skaphoid bone, apparently that can be quite harmful because it's gone hasn't got much good blood supply. So let's hope that she's okay. Who are you going? And Dan pulse on the stacks, Pulse, pulse absolutely. And then the Battle of the South Steel versus Tactics. That was the first round, wasn't it when the Tactics beat the Steel in christ Church? This one's an in Vicago. Well, I'm going to Tactics for that one.
Yeah, look, I'm me too. I mean, how could you go against the Tactics at the moment.
Yeah, it's it's a little bit scary. I'm almost scared that this is going to be another blowout round. To be honest, I'm hoping it's not. I hope we see some of those two pointers. They keep it close. But Tactics, Tactics, Pulse Magic, they're all playing well. They're all heading their straps as they hit that halfway mark, and I think they're all going to take take the win. And we've picked our top seven from the round and a lot of those players that we've picked have come from those teams that performed very well. So you can watch watch out for those on our social media b social media, you'll see our starting seven. Well that's it from us. We look forward to having your company once again next week. Until then, remember you can download Inside Nevil on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcast until next week on behalf of the whole Inside Needy crew Matiwa