Overthinking has held back Firebirds’ star import Mary Cholhok in her first Super Netball season
With limited time to prepare for her first Super Netball season given international commitments, Mary Cholhok is only now gaining the confidence she needs as part of the Queensland Firebirds’ group.
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Star import Mary Cholhok concedes she’s been overthinking things in the opening half of her first season in Super Netball.
Cholhok, the 201cm shooter who has starred in England’s Netball Super League for the past several years has had a fickle first Super Netball season by her high standards.
With limited time to prepare with her Queensland Firebirds teammates given international commitments ahead of the season, Cholhok is only now gaining the confidence and understanding of what she can bring to the team and how to best combine with her teammates.
“I feel like I’ve settled in now,” Cholhok said.
After feeling on top of the world after winning their first two games, the Firebirds hit the halfway point of the season in seventh place on the competition ladder after five consecutive losses.
Coach Kiri Wills said the team’s combinations had come together well now, and she expected ball to get where it needed to go into her towering goaler.
“Mary’s offering really good positioning now, so we should be able to get that ball to her accurately,” Wills said.
Cholhok, who has won the Netball Superleague’s scoring title on several occasions, conceded she felt the pressure of having to adapt quickly in the world’s best competition.
“But I feel like now I know what I can bring to the team and the more I can be myself, the more I can get the best out of myself, and the team can get more of me when I’m just not thinking about it too much,” she said.
Wills demanded plenty from her players at training this week after some momentum-killing basic errors and Cholhok said there had been plenty of talk among the players about what they expected from themselves when they take on the West Coast Fever in Perth on Sunday.
“We had a lot of conversations coming in this week, with us demanding more out of ourselves, which is good to get the best out of ourselves and challenge ourselves on court as well during training,” Cholhok said.
“But I think we’re going to get out there and just (try to) get a win to get our confidence back.”
One of the Firebirds’ two victories this season did come against the Fever, however it was when the team was without talismanic shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard, a massive scoring presence for her team.
It’s what the Firebirds need out of Cholhok but it’s another Jamaican international she’ll need to worry about, with Kadie-Ann Dehaney out to use her terrific reach and on-body pressure to nullify Queensland’s Ugandan ace.
“Kadie-Ann is really amazing … that physicality and just gets into your head,” Cholhok said.
“I’ve possibly just got to lock in quicker and not let her slip through, because she’s very good, in the air and also on the body.
“So just playing it smart as well just using my body more.”
Maintaining possession will be key for the Firebirds, who committed 22 general play turnovers last week and converted just 60 per cent of their centre passes.
In a fillip for the team, England midcourter Imogen Allison headed west with the side after missing last week’s clash with the Vixens due to concussion and will line up against the Fever as long as she passes final protocols over the weekend.
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Originally published as Overthinking has held back Firebirds’ star import Mary Cholhok in her first Super Netball season
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