ANZ Championship: NSW Swifts shooters Susan Pettitt, Caitlin Thwaites a dangerous duo

THEY are the Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk of netball. A scoring combination as different as chalk and cheese who bring out the best in each other.

Amanda Lulham

@amandalulham

2 min read

May 6, 2016 - 10:00PM

NSW Swifts sharpshooters Susan Pettitt and Caitlin Thwaites hoping to out muscle the Firebirds. Pic: Dylan Robinson

THEY are the Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk of netball.

A lethal scoring combination as different as chalk and cheese off the court but who bring out the best in each other in the playing arena.

Netball’s odd couple of Susan Pettitt and Caitlin Thwaites claimed the mantle of Australia’s best shooting combination in the ANZ championship last season and look set to replicate the feat again this year.

Swifts Susan Pettitt fighting for the ball against the Thunderbirds.

They are the only Australian pairing who truly share the load as sharpshooters for the NSW Swifts and whose accuracy in the circle will be crucial to their clubs chances of victory in their first match-up with a New Zealand side this season.

“We are definitely great mates. We get along really well but personality wise we are very different. Maybe that’s what makes us so good together,’’ Pettitt laughed.

“Caitlin could talk the leg off a chair and I’m actually pretty quiet.

“She also super friendly all the time, to everyone. I am much more reserved.

‘’But when we are on the court we just seem to gell. We respect each other’s strengths and play to them.’’

Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk celebarting their win in State of Origin game three.

The Swifts are the only team in the competition to have both starting seven shooters ranked in the top seven overall after five rounds of competition.

After two weeks on the road with mixed results, the Swifts head home to take on Pulse this Sunday.

The side is determined to return to their winning ways against the New Zealand club following their disapointing 10-goal loss to the Queensland Firebirds in a replay of last year’s decider.

The defeat saw the Firebirds notch an 18th straight victory to be the only undefeated team in the Australian conference after five rounds of competition.

The Swifts sit in second place on the Australian conference ladder with just one loss in five outings.

The Swifts and Pulse have met in Sydney on four previous occasions with the home team wining every clash.

The Swifts also currently boast the best attacking record in the ANZ Championship with 63.4 goals per match and the third best defensive record with 49.3 goals per match scored against them.

NSW Swifts v Central Pulse