PREVIEW | NSL 2024 Round 1 – New era, new look teams, same goal
TODAY is the day. Later today, the English netball community will once again descend on Nottingham to begin the 2024 Netball Super League season. In a move that is perhaps uniquely Super League, much of the league moved clubs in the offseason, which creates a whole lot of unpredictability heading into the new season. Not […]
2024 Netball Super League Preview – Manchester Thunder
THE 2024 Netball Super League season is almost upon us, and to celebrate the build up to the season, Rookie Me Central will be previewing each of the 10 competing teams and seeing how this year might unfold for them. It is the halfway mark of the preview series, and today’s team is the Manchester […]
Thunder trusting the status quo ahead of 2024
MANCHESTER Thunder became the penultimate side to finalise their 2024 Netball Super League squad, with a few new faces set to don the yellow dress in 2024. There are eight members of the 2023 third place finishing side that are returning to the side in 2024. Lois Pearson, Amy Carter, Taylor McKevitt, Natalie Metcalf, Ella […]
Thunder roars loud to finish season on a high
MANCHESTER Thunder have finished their season on a high with a solid 55 goals to 38 win over the Surrey Storm to finish third in the Superleague for 2023. The game started much tighter than it ended, but a dominant third quarter from the Thunder really blew the match open. The first quarter was one […]
Well travelled Potgieter finally finds happy home
SOUTH African goal shooting star Lenize Potgieter has seen much of the world in her netball career, but the journey has made her the netballer she is today. Having played in all three of the world’s top leagues, Potgieter said that every club has contributed to her developing into a world class player. “I think […]
Potgieter left shocked by “horrible” Thunderbirds axing
SOUTH African goal shooting star Lenize Potgieter has sensationally declared the Suncorp Super Netball as “not normal netball anymore” and described her dumping from Adelaide Thunderbirds as a “rubbish feeling”. In an exclusive interview with Rookie Me Central, Potgieter said she was “quite shocked” to not earn another contract with the Thunderbirds after what she […]
NSL Player Focus: Natalie Metcalf (Manchester Thunder)
MANCHESTER Thunder fought off a tough challenge from the Strathclyde Sirens to take the win on the weekend, and a key part of that success was their skipper Natalie Metcalf. The Thunder and Roses skipper finished with 41 feeds in her side’s win over the Sirens, and was a pivotal link in many a successful […]
NSL Player Focus: Shadine Van Der Merwe (Manchester Thunder)
LAST weekend saw Manchester Thunder bring Loughborough Lightning’s undefeated run to an end, and one key part of the Thunder’s win was defender Shadine Van der Merwe. The experienced South African played a crucial role in quelling the influence of key Lightning players, which allowed the Thunder to move ahead on the scoreboard and take […]
2023 NSL Season Preview: Manchester Thunder
THE 2023 Netball Super League (NSL) season is just around the corner, and clubs and fans alike are gearing up for another exciting season. After an eventful off season the 10 NSL clubs are ready to go for another year, and to prepare for the season we here at Rookie Me Central are going to go around […]
2022 VNSL team review: Manchester Thunder
IN the wake of the 2022 Vitality Netball Superleague (VNSL) season finishing, we have taken a look back at how each team fared. We finish the 11-team countdown with the premiers, Manchester Thunder who went undefeated in a remarkable 22-game winning streak to lift the trophy aloft – their fourth overall – in the grand […]
Contenders win big while others gain momentum
THE Loughborough Lightning have showed their class once again, defeating the Leeds Rhinos 71 goals to 55 to add another big win to their tally for this season. A poor start really did cost the Rhinos in the end, as simple, jittery errors in attack saw them come undone as the Lightning showed their class […]
PREVIEW | NSL Round 5 – Intrigue aplenty
THERE are plenty of intriguing clashes this weekend in the Netball Super League, and with the up and down nature of the form of many teams this season, these results could be decisive. Strathclyde Sirens vs Cardiff DragonsFriday at 7:30pmSports Hall, Emirates The Sirens are back at home for the first time this season, and […]
Stats Central: 2024 NSL – Month 1
IT is one month down already in the 2024 Netball Super League season, so let us take a look at see who has been racking up the stats so far. There may still be three and a half months left in the season, but a lot of interesting pictures for this season can be painted […]
Streaks broken at both ends of the NSL ladder
THE match of the round in the Netball Super League over the weekend was an intriguing top of the table clash between the Severn Stars and Manchester Thunder, which saw the Thunder come away victorious 65 goal to 50 and with their undefeated record for 2024 still in tact. The margin may have been big, […]
PREVIEW | NSL Round 4 – Time to snap some streaks
IT is already the one month mark of the 2024 Netball Super League, and things are only continuing to ramp up further. Friday at 7:30pm GMTUniversity of Worcester Arena The weekend kicks off with what is arguably the match of the round, with the last two undefeated sides in the competition set to battle it […]
Grand Final rematch lives up to the hype
ROUND 3 of the Netball Super League saw a grand final rematch that lived up to the expectations, with the London Pulse avenging last year’s heartbreak by defeating the Loughborough Lightning by a mere goal. The Lightning had a chance to take the lead sooner than they ultimately did but some rare inaccurate shooting meant […]
PREVIEW | NSL Round 3 2024
WITH an exciting and intriguing opening fortnight of the 2024 Netball Super League season all done and ticked off, Round 3 is here and sure to provide some interesting match ups. Friday at 7:30pm GMTTeam Bath Arena After a frustrating performance last week, the last team that Bath would want to be facing this week […]
NSL Player Focus: Hannah Joseph (Loughborough Lightning)
LOUGHBOROUGH Lightning continued their stellar start to their Netball Super League title defence with another big win on the weekend, this time downing Team Bath by 37 goals in the final match of the weekend. A big part in the Lightning’s success, as she is just about every week, was Lightning midcourter Hannah Joseph. Playing […]
Pecking order starts to settle in NSL
THE action over the weekend in the Netball Super League certainly helped give fans a better idea of how each team is tracking this season. In a match that was tight by comparison to others, the Saracens Mavericks got on the board in 2024 with a 53 to 44 goal win over the Leeds Rhinos. […]
PREVIEW | NSL 2024 Round 2 – Time to paint a clearer picture
AFTER an enthralling opening day of action, Round 2 has already crept up on us all. Round 2 will be a good judge of where teams are at, and whether Round 1 was a truthful indicator of the season ahead or not. Cardiff Dragons vs Manchester ThunderFriday at 7pm GMTHouse of Sport, Cardiff The weekend’s […]