Preview of this weekend’s ANZ Championship netball competition round seven games (all times AEST).

SATURDAY

CENTRAL PULSE V CANTERBURY TACTIX at Arena Manawatu, Palmerston North, 12.30pm
Fresh from their bye, Pulse will be hoping to open their win account against a Tactix team looking to integrate recruit Rachel Dunn into their line-up. Dunn, who replaces leading scorer Jodi Brown, who will miss the rest of the competition through her pregnancy, could be marked this week by England Test teammate Sonia Mkoloma. Tactix returned to the winners’ list last week after successive losses and should stay on track for a finals berth by beating a team which has been losing by an average of 18 goals a game.

Tip: Tactix by 14
Tab Sportsbet: Pulse $4 Tactix $1.22.

SUNDAY

ADELAIDE THUNDERBIRDS V MELBOURNE VIXENS at ETSA Park, Adelaide, 1.30pm
These competition titans participated in arguably the greatest match in the fledgling competition’s history, when Adelaide inflicted a one-goal home loss on the Vixens back in round three. Melbourne have won all their other games, while Adelaide have enjoyed double-digit margins in all the other fixtures in their four-game victory streak. Expect another cliffhanger as Adelaide’s star defenders Geva Mentor and Mo’onia Gerrard try to contain the blossoming shooting combination of Sharelle McMahon and Caitlin Thwaites.

Tip: Vixens by three
TAB Sportsbet: Thunderbirds $1.75 Vixens $2

MONDAY

NSW SWIFTS v WEST COAST FEVER at Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre, Sydney, 7pm.
After suffering back-to-back losses the NSW Swifts will look to make amends and get their season back on track with a big win against the West Coast Fever. The chastened Swifts, who have slipped from equal first to sixth, are yet to win against an Australian side, having lost to the Vixens and Firebirds and will be hungry for victory and keen to remain in touch with the top four. They should have too many weapons for Fever, who have won just one game this year and have lost their last three and rely heavily on shooter Caitlin Basset, who has scored 70 per cent of the Fever’s championship goals at a personal success rate of 88 per cent.

TAB Sportsbet: Swifts $1.07 Fever $7
Tip: Swifts by 14

WAIKATO/BAY OF PLENTY MAGIC v SOUTHERN STEEL at Mystery Creek Events Centre, Hamilton, 5pm
The Magic have a share of top spot in the league and a win at home against the struggling Steel will give them sole leadership, with the other front-runners Queensland having a bye. The Steel, who have lost their last three fixtures and have just two wins from six outings, need to score an upset win to stay in finals contention. They will have their work cut out trying to shut down Magic shooters Irene van Dyk and Maria Tutaia, while the match-up between leading Steel shooter Daneka Wipiiti and Silver Fern defender Casey Williams could be the game-decider.

TAB Sportsbet: Magic $1.05 Steel $8
Tip: Magic by 19

BYE: Northern Mystics and Queensland Firebirds.

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