Sapphire Series live stream: Tigers v Cougars, Bull Sharks v Jets take centre stage on big R6 weekend

A seven-goal final term figthback, a young Firebird proving she can match the best in the league and super shots everywhere. It was a Sapphire Series classic which had it all. Watch the REPLAYS from the Round 6 double header.

What just happened?

The argument for extra time in the regular rounds of the Sapphire Series will be reignited after the Bond University Bull Sharks and TAE Aerospace Jets were forced to settle for a 68-68 draw in a thriller.

The Jets pulled off an incredible fight back in the final quarter, having trailed by seven goals at the three-quarter break, and had a late opportunity to steal the win but turned the ball over on the attack with five seconds remaining.

CHECK OUT THE FULL REPLAY IN THE VIDEO PLAYER ABOVE

Jets standout shooter Elsa Sif Sandholt was one of the stars for the green machine while goal circle partner Lilly Cubby came up with several clutch plays including a two-point super shot in the dying stages to help secure the points.

Sandholt finished with 46 goals from 52 attempts, while Cubby finished with the four two-pointers.

The fourth-placed Bull Sharks have given the unbeaten Jets the biggest scare of the season yet, after back-to-back two-pointers from Kaylin van Gruenen (52 goals) and Mia Stower (14 goals) late in the third quarter stretched the difference out to a match-high seven goals.

Queensland Firebirds young gun Sasha-May Flegler continued her incredible form this season, with a player of the game performance at wing defence for the Bull Sharks.

It continued a big afternoon of Sapphire Series action after Brisbane North Cougars made short work of rivals Carina Leagues Club Tigers.

Replay: Tigers v Cougars (2nd Half Only)

Nalani Makunde made her presence felt after coming off the bench early in the contest, scoring 47 goals from 50 attempts as the Cougars ran out 77-49 winners.

KommunityTV apologises for the technical issues which caused havoc with our coverage of the Sapphire Series on Saturday. We unfortunately will not be able to show the first half of the clash between the Tigers and Cougars.

PREVIEW

Facing the unbeaten Jets doesn’t faze Bull Sharks head coach Rebecca Stower.

She knows they will have to dig deep to be the first team to knock off the high-flying Sapphire Series leaders, but she insists their current fourth-place standing on the ladder ‘isn’t a true indication yet of our position.’

The Bull Sharks v Jets showdown is the second part of a big Saturday Round 6 double header on KommunityTV. Carina Leagues Club Tigers take on ACU Brisbane North Cougars in the opener at 4pm.

Check out the LIVE STREAM draw below.

The Bull Sharks have had a quiet start to the year with two byes in the first three weeks, one loss (Thunder) and two wins (Titans, Cougars).

“Once we get through the first full round, we will have a better idea of where we are at,” Stower said.

“We are just taking one game at a time … we will review the previous game and then prep for the next.”

Hannah Le Sage shooter for Bond University Bull Sharks

They went down to Sunshine Coast Thunder in round 4 by just six points after a second-half super shot blitz from former Queensland Firebird Mia Stower gave them a late chance, before getting back on the winners’ list in round 5 against 2023 premiers ACU Brisbane North Cougars.

“The win against Cougars was a hard-fought battle, but it shows we have depth in our team and have a number of different line ups to be versatile and adaptive to what’s in front of us,” said Stower.

They will be hoping to continue that form on Saturday - and Stower is confident given her team’s fitness.

Midcourter Jayden Molo is the only player ruled out for the match. She is set to miss another three to five weeks as a result of ‘niggles’ obtained in recent rounds.

“The team is tracking well,” said Stower.

“We are hitting target areas at training this week to prepare to tackle the Jets style of play.

“All our players are at full strength except for Jayden.”

Bond’s starting line-up is yet to be decided for the match-up, with Stower citing Thursday’s training and opposition analysis as the main factors in her planning.

The circle match-up of Mia Stower (Bond) and Lily Gribble (Jets) will no doubt turn heads, with Stower on every defender’s mind given her super shot accuracy of recent weeks.

Can anyone stop the Jets in 2024?

Shutting down the two-point option before it reaches Stower – or Bull Sharks captain Hannah Le Sage – will be key to Jets ensuring they remain in control of the match.

At the other end of the court, shooters Elsa sif Sandholt, Lily Cubby and Naomi Solomona work tirelessly while mid courters Steph O’Brien and Ally McLeod are poised to run the show once more.

They will be paired against Bond’s young, dynamic trio of Dakota Newson, Georgia Bodle and Sasha-May Flegler.

Meanwhile, four-time premier Cougars have a chance to claim just their second win of the season, coming up against a Tigers side staring at three defeats in a row.

Neither team has been able to find their groove, sharing a 1-4 record and sitting on equal points (4) after five rounds.

A 22-point loss against the Titans (Tigers) and 18-point loss against Bond (Cougars) gives both sides a reason to come out firing in round six.

Originally published as Sapphire Series live stream: Tigers v Cougars, Bull Sharks v Jets take centre stage on big R6 weekend