Saturday 30 June 2018 23:30, UK
Manchester Thunder head coach Karen Greig says her team is ready to prove people wrong having gone under the radar to finish the regular season just three points behind table-topping Wasps.
The Thunder take on Loughborough Lightning in the Vitality Superleague semi-finals on Saturday having finished level on points with their opponents over the 18-game regular season.
Both teams are in sublime form, with the Thunder's current eight-match winning run only bettered by Loughborough's 11-game streak, and Greig told skysports.com she is proud to be in charge of a group of players all working for each other.
"I don't think anybody has spoken about us all season, to be honest," she said. "If you look at people's predictions at the start of the year, some had us finishing as low down as sixth, but we don't mind.
"I haven't got a team full of superstars, I've got a squad full of players that want to play for each other, want to play for Manchester Thunder and that for me is the most important thing and I'm happy to sit under the radar.
"We're happy to be underdogs. Everyone knows a northerner loves an underdog story and we're happy to stay there and prove people wrong on Saturday.
"I've got a fantastic group of athletes who work hard for each other and for the franchise and being someone who has come through the Manchester Thunder ranks as a player and a coach I am really proud. It's great to see what the players can achieve and hopefully we can go one step further."
That one step further would be a place in the final following their semi-final defeat last year, but Greig is aware of the challenge facing her side.
The Lightning were the last team to beat the Thunder, back in March, after Manchester had secured a one-point win in February.
"It's going to come down to who puts out the most consistent performance on the day," she said. "You look at Loughborough Lightning as a squad and they are immense from front to back.
"They've got Shamera Sterling holding them up at the back and Peace Proscovia is in formidable form at the front. They've got a solid centre-court linking the two together so we know they're a tough outfit.
"But we like to think of ourselves as a tough outfit as well. Joyce Mvula is on top form and I think at the moment she's unstoppable so we're looking to have a really solid week in training , putting a good, strong game-plan together to combat their strengths and hopefully we'll have a consistent four quarters on Saturday.
"Both games we've played against them this season, the netball's been fantastic. Both teams want to play good netball and we've have some really good contests.
"It's going to be an exciting game, it's going to be fast, there will probably be a physical element to it as they're always is but we will be well prepared for that."
Both of Saturday's semi-finals are live from 5.30pm with centre-pass in Wasps v Team Bath at 5:45pm followed by Loughborough Lightning v Manchester Thunder.
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