The superstar movements that will shake up Super Netball season
How much impact can one player have on a team – or a season? The injection of Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard and withdrawal of Shamera Sterling-Humphrey could shape the Super Netball finals.
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Four rounds into the season and we’re starting to get a real picture of what the competition – and the teams will look like after some big moves in and out of sides that could have a bearing on final standings.
Already there’s a bottle neck from positions two to six on the ladder and what past seasons has shown is that the fight is on, not just for points but percentage, which counts for everything as teams work to scrape into the top four.
Big-name recruits, injuries and maternity leave have shaped rosters in ways that have already had an impact on teams’ results in the opening month of matches.
West Coast Fever were bolstered by the return of Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard after two rounds – the champion goaler back from a period of leave – while the Thunderbirds lost goalkeeper Shamera Sterling-Humphrey after round 3, following the confirmation she was pregnant and would be taking maternity leave.
After four rounds, we seem to have hit a relative period of stability, meaning teams – barring any major injuries in the future – should have a list that will now take them through to the end of the season.
So which clubs are firing and which need to get a wriggle on if they’re to be in line for a spot in the top four at the end of the regular season?
DISTINCTION
Swifts
Briony Akle’s team has looked exceptionally classy going unbeaten through the first four rounds, something that was set up by their recruitment in the off-season and the way in which they put their team together.
They revealed the recruitment of Grace Nweke early, and she’s been exceptionally strong for them and a headache for any defender that comes up against her.
It’s given their experienced campaigners in Helen Housby and Paige Hadley a new lease on their own games.
The real key for me, is the recruitment of Sharni Lambden. They needed a wing defence that was going to be rock solid and really track a player out of the game, plus she gets ball for them and provides a good shield for Sarah Klau or Teigan O’Shannassy at keeper.
And Verity Simmons, a natural feeder with a game that is about turn and release to a tall holding shooter. And that’s exactly what she is delivering.
They’ve probably had a bit of luck in facing Fever in the opening round without Fowler-Nembhard but when you look at it, even when they’re challenged – as they were against the Mavericks and the following week against the a Sterling-Humphrey led Thunderbirds defence – they find a way.
At the moment, I think the only team that will challenge them will be a Fever with Fowler-Nembhard but we’re going to have to wait until round 9 to see it.
Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard and Shamera Sterling-Humphrey
I don’t know if there’s many other players in the league that are that pivotal to their teams, that when they’re in, they completely dominate, and when they’re out, the team, goes searching for how to win a game.
They do rely on their teammates, no doubt, but it’s just even the way that those around them perform when they’re there, or absent.
Goal attack Shanice Beckford is a changed player having Fowler-Nembhard back in the game and their feeders and other players are much more comfortable in the Fever line-up now that they’ve got a Fowler-Nembhard to feed, who you know is so reliable.
Likewise, Sterling-Humphrey is so reliable for the Thunderbirds that they could cough up a few balls in their attack end.
If Vixens did that, or Giants did that, it straight away is really costly on the scoreboard for them but the Thunderbirds have not had that same pressure because they’ve got the ball back.
The teams that play the Thunderbirds without Sterling-Humphrey twice this season, and the teams that got to play Fever without Fowler-Nembhard in the opening two rounds, could go a long way to locking themselves into a place in that top four.
It’s unfortunate for Sunshine Coast Lightning and Melbourne Vixens, who are both likely to be fighting for a top-four spot and have both had to play the Thunderbirds with Sterling-Humphrey and the Fever with Fowler-Nembhard in the opening four rounds, for a combined four losses.
It could be a key moment in the season.
PASS
Sunshine Coast Lightning
Lightning have probably performed better than what I expected them to.
They’re one of the most experienced teams in the league in terms of games played but it’s been the way they’ve injected players at perfect times, not just their superstars that has been interesting.
It’s been Reilley Batcheldor and her injection into the game at different moments, not just when the super shot’s happening; it’s the way defensively, they’ve used their options so smartly – an Ash Ervin and a Courtney Bruce at goalkeeper give you options and versatility that plenty of teams don’t have – and their canny recruitment of a player like Kiristiana Manu’a.
Cara Koenen has been on everyone’s radar for her inconsistency but when she turns it on and when she finds a way, don’t you just love to be able to watch that Sunny Coast Lightning team in action.
They’re really going to shake a lot of teams around. Can they be someone that challenges a NSW Swifts? I think we’ll very soon see.
Adelaide Thunderbirds
When we heard the news that Sterling-Humphrey was out, I thought it was going to be impossible for them to go to do the “threepeat” but I still have that lingering feeling that you never want to underestimate the ability of the rest of the players in that team, the majority of whom are two-time premiership players.
It was unusual to see their chaotic style against the Giants, they struggled in attack and didn’t get as much opportunity as we have seen.
They’re usually such a well-oiled, structured team. In saying that, Tania Obst has plenty of options and triggers she can pull with positional changes. Hannah Petty and Georgie Horjus will be integral as they find their new way forward.
Bringing Sanmarie Visser straight into goalkeeper at the weekend, clearly, they’ve had a lot of time behind the scenes with her in that defensive end. Latanya Wilson is already a champion at what she does but I think she’s going to become the most important piece of that defensive puzzle, especially what position she takes.
You never want to think that your team is just about one player but Sterling-Humphrey is the best defender we have seen in the game, well I think so anyway, so I think the Thunderbirds will have a few teething issues through life without her.
If they can get to that conclusion quickly and find some extra gains for their attackers, then they will continue to challenge and land in that top four.
West Coast Fever
Obviously the first two games didn’t go their way.
We were hoping Olivia Wilkinson could really light up the court with what we’d seen at Team Girls Cup but now that Fowler-Nembhard’s back, the confidence and clarity of the entire group has really gone to another level.
There’s almost a sense of calmness knowing they can revert back to the old playbook that has worked time and time again for them. Shanice Beckford and Wilkinson can be equally threatening out at goal attack and with Alice Teague-Neeld constantly with ball in hand threading the needle, there is a lot to like.
Fran Williams was exceptional against the Vixens in round 3 and wins plenty of ball for them, and with Kadie-Ann Dehaney and Sunday Aryang as well, they have options defensively to take on the big shooters, even with the loss of Ruth Aryang to an Achilles injury.
I think out of every team – they have the team that can take on the Swifts now Fowler-Nembhard is back.
They get a pass because it’s been a bit of a rocky start for them but it’s hard not to see them ending up somewhere near the top of that ladder by season end.
Melbourne Vixens
I think Vixens will feel a sense of relief to have found their mojo in round 4 and be sitting at 2-2 going into round 5.
We know how good they are when they find their flow, ball speed and elite execution, but those strengths have been tested and gone missing at times this season.
I put them in the pass category because they sit among the pack and showed they had that fight in their win against Mavericks last weekend with some standout performances.
They had their backs against the wall after that Fever game in round 3 but Sophie Garbin rallied at the weekend and found her best and isn’t it great to see. Hannah Mundy took her game to another level as well and it was really good to see that fire in their belly defensively.
As one of the unlucky teams that has faced the Thunderbirds with Sterling-Humphrey and Fever with Fowler-Nembhard in the first three rounds, they have some catching up to do, although I’m sure the Vixens shooters will be internally high-fiving they don’t have to face Sterling-Humphrey again this season.
They’re still going to have to find a way to stop the likes of a Nweke and Cholhok and Fowler-Nembhard.
Rudi Ellis has been heavily penalised – they need her winning ball without being on the body – but Maggie Caris has shown some signs, although she still needs a bit of game time to build the role that she can play.
We know a good Vixens side when we see it and what we saw against the Mavericks was some of their best. If they can continue to channel that, then they’re going to disrupt a lot of the top teams this season.
Queensland Firebirds
I think it’ll be a blessing in disguise for the Firebirds to have been able to play the Fever without Fowler-Nembhard.
To get the first two wins on the board was a great way for them to start and to bolster their confidence. It’s a new year and they have showed us that.
Mary Cholhok is still finding her feet and I know that is a common thought. She will understand the intensity and machinations of the game more and more.
And just as she is getting experience every game, so too are opposition defenders playing against her, so the feeders’ game becomes even more critical in how they protect her and continue to push her capabilities.
We saw on the weekend when they did challenge the Swifts in part of that game that they can do it – it’s just whether they can hold that grit and resilience and overpower a team who are experienced, for 60 minutes.
It’s going to take them a while to really build up that grit but I think when they get there, by the end of the season, we’re going to see a very different Firebirds to what we’re seeing now.
They’re going to get better. Will they get enough wins to get them into the top four? I think they definitely can but the fight is on.
FAIL
Melbourne Mavericks
It might seem harsh to put them down in this fail category right now, it’s purely on their ladder position at 1-3 and the fact it’s going to be a hard task challenging that top four when we know teams that are sitting in third, fourth, fifth and sixth are going to be in their own battles.
There has been so much to like about what we’ve seen from the Mavericks so far, especially their game against the Swifts, where you could really see how well they can play and they can get ball in their unit defensive work.
I think Shimona Jok has been outstanding for them, as have Kim Brown and Amy Parmenter.
Of course they’ve got injuries and they haven’t had all their options available.
The Goal attack position remains a big question. They’d love to be able to throw Eleanor Cardwell out on court right now but she said this week she was only just back running.
Sasha Glasgow’s numbers just aren’t where they need them to be. It’s harsh to say, because, of course, after such a major injury, she has to have some time to build up her confidence and strength with the intensity of the game.
Uneeq Palavi offers something different and can be damaging, as we have seen in the last two weeks.
There’s a lot to like about the Mavs – they’re a lot better team than last year. It’s getting tougher to climb the ladder to that top four but it’s not impossible though.
Giants Netball
They’ll be very happy that they got the win over the Thunderbirds, it was a hard fought win so credit to them for what they put out there.
But the first three rounds, it was really hard to see a way that Giants are going to get themselves into the top four.
They need to back up that victory with a good contest with the Lightning this week and keep the ball rolling.
Their rotations through their shooting end are still questionable for me about when it works and when it doesn’t moving Jo Harten and Matisse Letherbarrow in and out of the game.
Goal defence Jodi-Ann Ward was great on the weekend and Erin O’Brien is showing a lot of positive signs but their ability to win ball consistently, use it efficiently and limit racking up the penalties, is costing them from what we have seen so far.
I hope to see them get some more wins but I think they’re a team that’s going that’s going to find it the hardest out of everybody to break into the top four.
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Originally published as The superstar movements that will shake up Super Netball season
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