ANZ Premiership: Why grand final rematch could determine who hosts this year’s decider
Saturday, 6 June 2026
ANALYSIS: The ANZ Premiership’s three finalists are officially locked in, but the final seeding order is far from certain.
With just two weeks left in round play, the Mystics, Tactix, and Steel all are jostling for top spot and home grand final hosting rights on June 27.
Brendon Egan breaks down the big talking points ahead of round nine, which gets underway on Saturday.
Clash of the pacesetters
The Mainland region squares off with their Auckland rivals in a Saturday afternoon sporting double in Christchurch.
Across town, the Tactix and Mystics will also battle in a top of the table ANZ Premiership clash at Wolfbrook Arena in Addington, a rematch of last year’s grand final. The netball starts at 4pm with the rugby kicking off about 35 minutes later.
While it would have been nice to have the matches at separate times, television requirements meant that was virtually impossible. The Tactix-Mystics game has also been locked in at the venue and time slot for months in advance.
Regardless, the Tactix fans are some of the most loyal in the ANZ Premiership and regularly fill out the stadium. Despite the rugby, there shouldn’t be too many empty seats at Wolfbrook. The Tactix are on a 10-match home court winning run too that goes back to round one, last year.
This is a pivotal match with the victor taking a huge step towards clinching first place and automatic entry to the grand final, which they would host.
If teams are tied at the end of round play, the first tiebreaker is the number of wins in the preliminary rounds, followed by goal point percentage.
Mystics on the move
Maybe all the Mystics needed was a kick up the backside by the Steel in week three.
Since then, the Mystics have resembled a different side, winning five games on the bounce. It has been made even more impressive, considering they have been without Silver Ferns defender Catherine Hall for the past three games. Hall will miss the rest of the ANZ Premiership season with a foot injury and could be touch and go for Silver Ferns’ Commonwealth Games selection, depending on her return to play plan.
The Mystics’ gutsy extra-time win over the Steel in Invercargill was a statement performance. Not many sides knock over the Steel at home these days, which the Mystics managed to do, thumping them 9-1 in the extra-time phase.
Talk about a turnaround from the Tia Winikerei-coached side after a error-strewn 57-46 loss to the Steel in round three in Auckland.
Steel seek a bounce-back
Seeking a seventh straight win, the Steel came unstuck late in the game in their loss to the Mystics.
Adding to the Steel’s challenge is a calf injury to Silver Ferns midcourter Kimiora Poi, who will miss the remainder of the premiership season. Poi suffered the injury in round seven against the Magic.
Coach Wendy Frew will be asking for an improved showing in all areas from the Steel, who were not quite at their clinical best against the Mystics.
A loss to the Stars, might force the Steel to play an elimination final away from home as the third seed, something they will be eager to avoid.
Strugglers end losing streaks
It’s taken a while, but there were finally smiles on the faces of the Pulse and Magic players last Saturday.
Both teams have found the going tough this season, but snapped their winless droughts.
The Magic celebrated like they had won the title when they pipped the Stars, ending their 356-day, 12-game wait for an ANZ Premiership win, dating back to last year.
After pushing the Steel to extra-time the week before, one sensed the Magic were getting closer to an elusive win and they got the spoils.
The Pulse, who are usually competing for titles, have endured a rough 2026 with plenty of big name defections to Australia in the off-season.
Their upset win over the Tactix was their first victory since round one, ending a run of six straight losses.
Both teams would love nothing better than making it two in a row. They meet in Hamilton on Saturday night.
Is Maia Wilson a chance for Glasgow?
If Maia Wilson was available for Silver Ferns selection, her strong play in the win over the Steel, would have left a lasting impression on Dame Noeline Taurua.
Taurua has been cagey on which players are exactly available for national selection this year. Wilson was unavailable for Ferns selection last year, telling The Post in March she felt burnt out after a decade in the professional ranks.
The 52-cap Silver Fern switched teams in the off-season, moving from the Stars to the crosstown Mystics.
Wilson has been reliable in the Mystics’ shooting end, converting 213 of her 228 attempts (93%), the fourth most goals in the competition.
She had one of her best outings of the season in the win over the Steel, landing 44 from 47 attempts.
With Grace Nweke the clear first-choice goal shoot and Amelia Walmsley covering both shooting positions, Wilson’s path to the Ferns is tricky. Georgia Heffernan is probably the top goal attack, leaving only one further spot.
If Wilson is available again, she certainly provided food for thought before Taurua and her fellow selectors sent their 12-player Games squad to the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) on Monday. It will be publicly announced on June 17.
ANZ Premiership week 9
Saturday, 4pm: Tactix v Mystics at Wolfbrook Arena, Christchurch
Saturday, 7pm: Magic v Pulse at Claudelands Arena, Hamilton
Sunday, 4pm: Stars v Steel at Pulman Arena, Auckland
Points: Mystics 19, Tactix 19, Steel 18, Stars 12, Pulse 8, Magic 4.