Pamela Cookey analyses Vitality Netball Superleague run-in
Four live games get under way at 1.45pm on Saturday with Strathclyde Sirens vs Loughborough Lightning before London Pulse face Manchester Thunder; two more follow on Sunday.
Friday 19 April 2019 17:13, UK
It's the closest race for the top four in years and a thrilling Vitality Superleague faces a pivotal Easter weekend with a double round of fixtures on Saturday and Sunday.
Over the course of the Easter weekend Rounds 15 and 16 will play-out across two venues - the Emirates Arena in Glasgow and the Ricoh Arena in Coventry. There will be four matches shown live on Sky Sports and after that just two rounds remain.
With so much to play for, and with so little time to go, we turned to the expert for her thoughts on the top five, team-by-team, and try and predict the most unpredictable season yet... step forward former England international and Sky Sports' Pamela Cookey.
Manchester Thunder
Run-in: London Pulse, Loughborough Lightning, Team Bath and Surrey Storm
Table Position: Top on superior points difference (33 points)
In the next four games, Thunder will be facing two teams that beat them in the reverse fixture - Team Bath and Loughborough Lightning by four and five goals respectively.
After the round 14 loss to Severn Stars, I see they are hurting and want to learn from, and to put aside, the bad day at the office. Big wins against Pulse and Storm previously will give them confidence going into those games. Still sitting top of the table on goal difference, they are the ones to catch and I can't see them dropping points to take them out of the top four.
Player wise they need Liana Leota to be on form, creating the magic we have seen so often and captain Emma Dovey on her tight defence through court and support on attack. Shooters Joyce Mvula, Kathryn Turner and Eleanor Cardwell have been sharing the load with 89%, 85% and 91% respectively over the season, converting the many opportunities brought to them.
Wasps Netball
Run-in: Surrey Storm, Celtic Dragons, Strathclyde Sirens and Severn Stars
Table Position: Second (33 points)
On paper Wasps have the less challenging run in with no other top five team left to play. Even with one slip up, knowing the unpredictability of this season, they are one of the few teams who have punished the lower half of the table teams in terms of score lines.
After their loss to Thunder in Round 11, Wasps have won three on the bounce with telling victories against Pulse, Team Bath and Mavericks. They look confident and in control again.
Losing Sophia Candappa to pregnancy, though a big loss in terms of additional options and giving a different dynamic, it has meant they can solidify their powerful combination in attack with Rachel Dunn, Katie Harris, Bongi Misomi and Jade Clarke for full games. They hold the best defensive record in the league, lead by Hannah Knights, and like Thunder I do not see them dropping out of the top four at the end of this period.
Team Bath
Run-in: Severn Stars, Saracens Mavericks, Manchester Thunder and London Pulse
Table Position: Third (30 points)
Team Bath probably have the hardest run in to the semi-finals with them having two of the top four to play in Mavericks and Thunder. They had a close shave against Pulse away and Severn Stars who they are scheduled to play on Saturday are just coming off their big win against Thunder.
Team Bath will need big games from their co-captains Eboni Usoro-Brown and Serena Guthrie to lift the whole team. It is so very noticeable when both of them are present and driving through their own performances. Team Bath will have to consistently, through the quarters, produce those connections in attack. When they are on song they carve through defence but we see times where they stop moving purposefully and struggle to penetrate through the centre third into the Goal Circle.
Mental toughness and sound followed game plan needed to see them through.
Loughborough Lightning
Run-in: Strathclyde Sirens, Manchester Thunder, London Pulse and Celtic Dragons
Table Position: Fourth (27 points)
Lightning had been on a seven-game winning streak after their win against Thunder but have lost the last two to Storm and Team Bath in epic games.
They have the ability to score quickly with their mid-court speed and target of Mary Cholhok, though their final feeds into the circle and the catch have not been consistent and cost them at critical moments. Ella Clark, when she has her game face on, has been superb with 81% conversion rate, knowing when to be a play maker and when to get into the circle and take the shots. For Lightning they need the whole team to show up for all four quarters, use their width and depth - Hannah Joseph so strong in those pockets, and win ball early in defence given the lack of height but power and timing on the ground.
Going into these last games they had collected all 12 points from their four coming opponents, of whom, Thunder is the only other top five team.
Saracens Mavericks
Run-in: Celtic Dragons, Team Bath, Severn Stars and Strathclyde Sirens
Table Position: Fifth (24 points)
Mavericks are coming into this last phase off the back of three losses to Lightning, Pulse and Wasps.
Unfortunately they have put themselves in a very challenging position and will, I believe, need to win all four remaining games to find themselves in the final four after round 18. Three points adrift from fourth place Lightning and with the reverse fixture against Team Bath (Usoro-Brown and Guthrie were out injured the last time they met) and a confident Severn Stars side left to play, this will be difficult.
We have seen some great performances, a noticeable impact of Georgia Lees, Corbin sisters' connection, George Fisher sitting on 90% - fifth in the overall shooting league table, the defensive wall of Michelle Drayne, Jo Trip and Razia Quashie. Although, injuries have plagued them and they haven't been able to find consistency in their units. In order to win these next four games there can be no rest, and the flare and control must work in tandem.
Prediction time...
I'm going to finally put it out there. I feel from these remaining fixtures the top four will in no particular order be:
- Team Bath
- Loughborough Lightning
- Manchester Thunder
- Wasps Netball
I think we will see some more tight finishes and one or two unexpected results but this is now the business end of the season and my predicted top four will want to, and execute, the needed results to put them in a good place going into the semi-finals.
Now to sit back and watch how it all unfolds. Love it.
The Vitality Superleague continues on Sky Sports with four live games across a busy Easter weekend - from 1.45pm on Saturday April 21 we have Sirens vs Lightning and Pulse vs Thunder and then from 3.45pm on Sunday April 22 we have Storm vs Stars and Bath vs Mavericks.
