Gallery | Numurkah and Moama rebound from last round’s Murray Netball League draw

After comprehensively losing its opening two matches of the season, the Magpies are getting back to their 2024 preliminary final best as they dispatched the last-placed Tigers with ease.

The Magpies have now settled into 2025 and currently sit in fourth place on the ladder with a record of 5-2-1.

One side looking to keep in touch with Moama and the top four is the team the Magpies drew against in the round prior, Numurkah.

The Blues, like the Magpies, began the season slowly but have since got their engine running and are now starting to plant their foot on the gas, winning three out of their past four matches.

Numurkah was pushed to the final siren by battler Finley.

At the Cats’ home ground, the Blues struggled to ice the game, but still walked away with a four-goal victory, 36-40.

Numurkah coach Laura Ryan said she was happy her side had learnt from their mistakes in the tight match the weekend before.

“We came off the back of a draw last week with Moama and sometimes when you get in these games and in pressure situations where it is close on the scoreboard it takes a really solid and connected team to work through that and grind it out,” Ryan said.

“Similarly to last week in the draw and yesterday when the pressure got put back on us, just to stay consistent and still get our tasks done (was a positive).

“We know if we can get ourselves to a finals position we can match the teams above us, so that is a real focus at the moment.”

The Blues were not at their clinical best for their clash against the Cats, but Numurkah is starting to find its rhythm in 2025.

After sitting on a single win and three losses four rounds in, it would have been hard to see a clear path to finals.

Now eight rounds in the books, with a record of 4-3-1 and sitting in sixth spot, Ryan and her soldiers have belief in their system and talent.

Although Saturday’s victory wasn’t textbook, Ryan said she was eager to just bag the four points and focus on what was next.

“Probably not the consistent performance we were looking for and had an opportunity to really consolidate and extend the lead (during the match)," she said.

“Happy to keep building, take the four points and shift our focus to Rumba next week.”

One star who has remained consistent in Numurkah’s inconsistent season is defender Lara Langford.

Ryan said Langford has been a rebounding gun in the Blues’ defence.

“(Langford's) pressure in the defensive end and her ability to find the ball and transition it out is a real asset to us," she said.

“We are really enjoying having her at the club for a second season.

“Her ability to combine with lots of different defenders has been a strength.”

In other matches, Rumbalara kept its winning streak going with a 16-goal victory over Echuca United.

Nathalia cemented its spot in second place on the ladder with a demolition job at home against Barooga, winning the match 66-28.

Congupna fell to Deniliquin by 16 goals, while Mulwala ran over the top of Tongala 56-46.