Superleague: Manchester Thunder, Loughborough Lightning, Team Bath and London Pulse bid for title | Netball News | NEWSRUX

Manchester Thunder are heading into the semi-finals unbeaten after the common season (Picture credit score: Ben Lumley)

All the pieces you could know concerning the Vitality Netball Superleague semi-finals, which occur on Friday and are reside on Sky Sports activities and streamed on YouTube.

Manchester Thunder, Workforce Bathtub Netball, Loughborough Lightning and London Pulse are the 4 sides left within the working to be topped the 2022 Vitality Netball Superleague champions.

The 2 semi-finals happen on Friday night time, reside on Sky Sports activities and streamed on the Sky Sports activities YouTube channel. Protection begins at 6pm.

This is every part you could know concerning the 4 semi-finalists…

Manchester Thunder

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Check out the most effective moments from Manchester Thunder’s Superleague season

Manchester Thunder completed on the high of the Superleague desk having scored an ideal 60 factors and gone by means of the common season unbeaten.

Karen Greig’s outfit have spent the final 20 rounds elevating the bar and setting new data. They comfortably scored extra targets than every other facet – 1385 to be exact – and averaged 69 targets per match, over the course of the season.

The signing of Nat Metcalf and her capability at WA particularly, has despatched their work in assault to a brand new degree. Eleanor Cardwell has additionally had a standout season and are available into her personal.

In defence, Laura Malcolm, Shadine van der Merwe and Kerry Almond gelled and followers shall be hopeful that Van der Merwe will have the ability to take to court docket on Friday, after not partaking of their Spherical 20 match towards Lightning.

Manchester Thunder final received the title in 2019 (Picture credit score: Ben Lumley)

Solely three Superleague golf equipment have gone by means of the common season unbeaten and Manchester Thunder have been the final to take action in 2015. Earlier than that, Surrey Storm did so in 2014 and Workforce Bathtub Netball achieved the feat twice in 2007 and 2009.

Nonetheless, Greig is aware of that an unbeaten season does not safe them the Superleague trophy, or any trophy for that matter.

“The semi-final is the toughest sport to get by means of and we all know it will be robust,” Greig mentioned to Sky Sports activities.

“You do not wish to get crushed within the semi-final, that is the worst one is not it!? It is pedal to the metallic, hopefully we will do a job after which come residence with the trophy.”

Going into finals weekend, the strain stays firmly on their shoulders; they’re those with a goal on their backs, much more so than the defending champions.

Workforce Bathtub Netball

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Workforce Bathtub Netball are taking over the league leaders on Friday night time, here is Bathtub’s greatest bits

Workforce Bathtub Netball had a good few challenges thrown their manner throughout the season, together with COVID-19 sweeping by means of the membership and captain Serena Guthrie saying her being pregnant and retirement from the game.

Regardless of that, final yr’s runners-up went about their enterprise in a targeted style and their worldwide athletes stood up.

Layla Guscoth being awarded the Vitality Netball Superleague Participant of the Season award shocked nobody, because the England defender has been phenomenal since day one.

Guscoth has fashioned a formidable partnership with South Africa worldwide Phumza Maweni and it is a defensive partnership that shall be put to the check towards Thunder.

Layla Guscoth has secured 59 interceptions and created 96 turnovers to this point this season (Picture credit score: Ben Lumley)

This time final yr, Bathtub have been one of many favourites to take the title however 12 months on, they may play second fiddle within the favourites stakes to their hosts at Belle Vue.

“We’re in a very totally different place, virtually it is like we have got nothing to lose with this,” Guscoth mentioned to Sky Sports activities. “And, that is fairly a pleasant place to be in.

“We’ll face the staff which might be on the high of the desk they usually’re undefeated. We wish to beat Thunder. The strain is off, however we wish to win, and we have got an expectation to do our greatest.”

Imogen Allison has stepped up once more as a frontrunner for Workforce Bathtub Netball (Picture credit score: Ben Lumley)

Bathtub have confronted Thunder twice already and their first assembly – a 57-53 loss – confirmed simply how a lot they’ll push the league leaders.

They will be arriving at Belle Vue with feelings effervescent beneath the floor too, with head coach Anna Stembridge stepping down on the finish of the season after a two-decade affiliation with the membership.

Kim Borger and Rachel Shaw have additionally introduced they are going to be retiring on the finish of the season.

Workforce Bathtub Netball are essentially the most embellished membership within the Superleague, having received the competitors 5 occasions beforehand, nonetheless they have not received a title since 2013 and that shall be chipping away at them.

Loughborough Lightning

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Look again at Loughborough Lightning’s season forward of their semi-final conflict with London Pulse

Loughborough Lightning are the defending champions and this season, have been led by Victoria Burgess after Sara Francis-Bayman took a sabbatical from the pinnacle coach position.

Burgess’ outfit misplaced simply twice throughout the common season, each occasions to Manchester Thunder, and put 1227 targets on the board in 20 matches.

“Firstly, our goal was to make the highest 4 and we have achieved that,” Burgess mentioned on Superleague’s present ‘Off The Courtroom’.

“Now, it is all about finals weekend and the way we will push on to do what we’ve not executed earlier than.”

Loughborough Lightning misplaced their first sport of the season on Monday (Picture credit score: Ben Lumley)

The 2021 Grand Remaining victory marked Lightning’s first Superleague title, after falling on the final hurdle thrice beforehand in 2008, 2017 and 2018.

This season, due to Thunder’s unbeaten run, they’ve gone beneath the radar and have elevated their power in depth due having to work with out key gamers for intervals of time.

Lightning have crushed their semi-final opponents London Pulse twice already the season, however they might want to erase that from their minds on Friday night time.

London Pulse

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London Pulse are within the semi-finals for the primary time, here is a have a look at their greatest bits from the common season

London Pulse are the one one of many semi-finalists who have not been on this place earlier than. However, they have coaches who know precisely what knockout netball is like they usually have an abundance of expertise of their ranks.

“It is simply actually thrilling, the vitality within the camp is nice and the women are actually excited,” Sam Chook, Pulse’s CEO and head coach, mentioned on ‘Off The Courtroom’.

“There’s lots of perception and pleasure to see what we will do.”

Pulse are a staff that is stuffed with younger expertise however importantly, it is younger expertise that is delivering in strain conditions and looking out prepared to realize

A six-goal loss to Thunder in Spherical 19 highlighted that Pulse are right here to play and it confirmed that their athletes have the psychological power to tackle a big quantity of strain.

Lisa Alexander, the previous Australian Diamonds head coach is of their nook, alongside Chook, and the assumption they’re giving their younger gamers means they’re blossoming.

Olivia Tchine, Alicia Scholes, Ellie Ratu, Zara Everitt and Funmi Fadoju, to call however just a few, are getting stronger by the day and are nonetheless within the youth of their careers.

The one situation for Pulse is that they are going through Lightning within the semi-finals, a facet they’ve not crushed this season and as an alternative, have been 11-20 targets adrift of.

Nonetheless, a no-fear angle, just like the one Bathtub’s Guscoth spoke of, can simply gas an ‘upset’ and Pulse have the added incentive of the ultimate being performed on their residence court docket on the Copper Field Area in London.

The Vitality Netball Superleague season continues on Friday with the semi-finals. Watch Manchester Thunder versus Workforce Bathtub Netball and Loughborough Lightning towards London Pulse, reside on Sky Sports activities Motion from 6pm.