#TeamGirls Cup to help forge new combinations for Sunshine Coast Lightning

Sunshine Coast Lightning coach Noeline Taurua has high hopes for the team despite the two-time champions losing four players in the off-season.

Laura Langman has been welcomed back by the Lightning. Pic Peter Wallis

Sunshine Coast coach Noeline Taurua hopes the #TeamGirls Cup pre-season tournament will help the defending champion Lightning get off to the best start in their short but spectacular history.

The three-day tournament featuring all eight Suncorp Super Netball teams gets underway at the Queensland State Netball Centre on Friday with the Lightning opening proceedings with a 4pm match-up with Adelaide.

The two-time Suncorp Super Netball champions have lost four players – including captain Geva Mentor and prolific goalshooter Caitlin Bassett – from the squad that went back-to-back in 2017 and 2018.

Laura Langman has been welcomed back by the Lightning. Pic Peter Wallis

But the Sunshine Coast have welcomed back New Zealand great and midcourter Laura Langman and signed Ugandan goalshooter Peace Proscovia, South African goalkeeper Phumza Maweni and ex-West Coast Fever defender Annika-Lee Jones as their replacement bookends for Mentor and Bassett.

The Lightning have been guilty of understandably sluggish starts in their first two seasons before roaring home to claim the silverware.

The rush to get ready for their opening season in 2017 and last year’s Commonwealth Games meant they were forced to play catch-up.

But Taurua wants to put a stop to that, especially with the month-long mid-season break for the World Cup in England to be followed by a five-week dash to the finals.

Ugandan goalshooter Peace Proscovia has signed with the Lightning. Picture: Andrew Zielinski

“I really want us to start off stronger than we’ve ever done before. We’ve always been a bit slow out of the blocks,’’ Taurua said.

“We’ve been able to perform at the business end but we need to be smart with this four week break. We’ve got a lot of international players in our team and I don’t want us to be all stressed out post-World Cup.

“We need to start better so we are already right in that mix for the top four.’’

Taurua said the Lightning’s pre-season was on track and the four-game hitout over the weekend would help forge on-court combinations.

“We feel like we have a good understanding of our structure and routines and we have created an environment where the players can bring out their strengths,’’ she said.

“We feel like our new players bring a point of difference, an X-factor. It’s about getting them comfortable and confident and mixing our different styles together. This will be a good opportunity to work on that chemistry.’’

Suncorp #TeamGirls Cup

Day 1 schedule

Qld State Netball Centre - FRIDAY, MAR 8

4pm - Sunshine Coast Lightning v Adelaide Thunderbirds

5pm – West Coast Fever v Collingwood Magpies

6pm – NSW Swifts v GWS Giants

7pm – Qld Firebirds v Melbourne Vixens