Manchester Thunder head coach Karen Greig targeting Superleague title
Monday 3 April 2017 15:49, UK
Karen Greig says there is no reason Manchester Thunder cannot challenge for the Vitality Superleague title this season.
Thunder currently sit in fifth place in the Vitality Netball Superleague, with wins over Team Northumbria, Celtic Dragons, and Wasps Netball under their belts after a tough start to the season.
To the outsider, last week's victory over Wasps was highly unexpected - not only were Wasps Netball one of the pre-season favourites, but Thunder are still finding their feet.
Last year's runners-up lost their opening two fixtures to follow an uncertain winter of change but having turned things around, a win against Hertfordshire Mavericks on Sky Sports Mix on Monday night will take them into the top four and the play-off places.
"There's no reason why we can't challenge up there this season, to be honest with you," Greig told Sky Sports.
"We've got a good squad who fight for each other. As I keep saying to them, we've just got to make the play-offs.
"If we make the play-offs, anything can happen - it's a bit like the FA Cup in football. I'm looking to challenge this year, next year, and the year after, and there's no reason why Thunder's name can't be back on that trophy where it belongs."
The off-season for Greig's side was one of seismic change, as their backbone departed. Helen Housby, Nat Haythornthwaite and Sara Bayman moved on, as well as some of the franchise's bright young things.
In their place, a host of young, untested talent arrived and while the talent within Greig's roster is indisputable, there has been the sense that it might be too soon for the reshuffle to pay dividends.
Not for Greig. To the former England international, the win over Wasps - after tough opening fixtures with Storm and Lightning - was just the beginning:
"The start of the season that we had, even though it wasn't ideal in terms of results, was a good start for us to play those two teams and know what it feels like," she added.
"I really do feel like those two defeats have given us more than wins might have done - our players have come away from those losses having learnt a lot about themselves, about each other, about us as a team.
"That gave us the foundation to get those four back-to-back wins that we've got.
"It was a tough start - you look at those two teams and where they're sitting now - unbeaten.
"To start the season with an inexperienced squad - our starting seven looks nothing at all like what we had last year. We're trying to build each week on new units and new foundations, learning who to play with each other in those new combinations."
Like Mavericks, Thunder have placed their faith in youth and with it has come a brand of high pressure netball that Greig hopes can take the team places and cause more than a fair share of surprises.
"We've got a brand new squad - at the start of the season, a lot of people were looking at us and I think they thought we were going to be down there at the bottom," she added.
"It's quite nice having that underdog tag - the girls have really wanted to prove themselves and everybody wrong with those pre-season thoughts, and I think they're starting to do that.
"I've got 12 girls in my squad who want to play for Thunder and who want to fight for each other. Ultimately, at the end of the season, hopefully that's what will see us through to the play-offs."
As for Monday night's opponents. it has been a tough start for Mavericks and their new coach Robyn Broughton but Greig is wary.
"They've got some really good young U21 England squads, some of whom I've worked with before. I know what kind of talent they've got coming through, and it's really exciting for them.
"There's a lot of history between us and Mavs, a lot of rivalry - friendly rivalry, that is. No matter which team we put out and they put out, it's going to be a really tough game.
"Whichever game plan I put out in front of the girls, I know they'll do their best to stick to it, and - if they do - there's no reason why we can't get that fifth win and start pushing ourselves up the table."
Coverage of the Superleague continues on Monday night when Manchester Thunder host Hertfordshire Mavericks live on Sky Sports Mix from 7.15pm.
