Good Hands - Lima Lelei - First Episode

Television (Full Length Episode) – 2003

Olivia (Nikki Si'ulepa) and Leilua (Fiona Truelove) are making all the right moves on the netball court, but off court, family pressures are mounting. Good Hands - Lima Lelei was nominated for Best Drama at the 2005 NZ Screen Awards, while Truelove was a nominee for Best Supporting Actress. In this episode, best mates Olivia and Leilua join in a development squad for a netball franchise, which could mean a pathway to the Silver Ferns. Life at home in South Auckland is complicated for both of them — Olivia's parents expect her to fulfil religious duties, and Leilua struggles to be heard by her husband as they raise their kids.

We spent seven years fighting for that, getting those scripts into development. The argument was not from the community, it was the broadcasters, that New Zealanders 'were not ready to see brown faces on mainstream, and we would have to change our accents'. For me, it was like, how do you know that? You've never tested it. A lot of that attitude still exists but with Good Hands we got lucky...
– Justine Simei-Barton on the battle to get Good Hands - Lima Lelei to air, NZ Herald, 15 November 2007