2017 Vitality Superleague week three preview
Sunday 5 March 2017 20:46, UK
Round three of the 2016-17 Vitality Superleague builds to a thrilling climax, as the final three matches of the weekend feature four undefeated teams.
Loughborough Lightning travel to Somerset on Monday with two wins from two matches, where they face Team Bath who have also won their first two matches.
The pair are separated only by goal difference, placed third and fourth respectively beneath defending champions Surrey Storm and new franchise Wasps Netball.
Five time Superleague winners Bath dominate the head-to-head, but Karen Atkinson's side possesses a refreshed roster, and the game may well decide who tops the league table entering round four.
Sky Sports will be showing the match on March 6 live, with coverage on Sky Sports 3 HD and Sky Sports Mix starting at 7:30pm.
Surrey Storm play away from home for the first time this season on Saturday March 4, and will hope to return from Northumbria with all three points.
Tania Hoffman's side are in pursuit of a third successive title, and are unlikely to be troubled by a struggling Team Northumbria, who have lost both of their opening matches this season.
Currently sat at the top of the league are Wasps Netball, who will be visited on Sunday, March 5, by the Hertfordshire Mavericks.
Shooter Rachel Dunn brings a wealth of experience to Tamsin Greenway's newly-formed side, who prevailed in a hard-fought opener against Sirens before cruising past Northumbria last week.
The remaining two matches feature three teams yet to win a point yet this season, including ninth-placed Severn Stars and bottom side Celtic Dragons, who meet on Friday.
Pamela Cookey, who just last season was an instrumental attacking force of the victorious Surrey Storm side, has turned her hand to management as the new director of netball for the Stars. Cookey will be keen to claim her first Superleague points of the year.
It is too early to tell how the Stars - coached by former Australian international Mo'onia Gerrard - will perform, but they have a real opportunity to notch some points against last year's seventh-placed Dragons.
New franchise Sirens are mid-table, their dispiriting loss at home to Wasps followed by a 73-36 rout against the Celtic Dragons in their second outing.
Their hosts on Saturday, Manchester Thunder, have had a tough opening pair of matches too, against Lightning and Storm, and currently sit seventh.
This is deceiving, however, as the Northern side were runners up last season, losing to Storm in the Grand Final, and have twice been crowned Superleague champions.
