2023 NSL Round 1 Preview: New season, new hope, same dream
AFTER months of build up and excitement, the new Netball Super League (NSL) season is upon us.
The 10 competing clubs will battle it out this weekend to get their campaigns off to the perfect start.
Nottingham is the place to be this weekend as all teams converge on Motorpoint Arena for one big day of netball action to kick off the season.
Coming into this season, everyone will be chasing Manchester Thunder, as they won it all last year, but predicting a 2023 title winner may not be that straightforward.
Manchester, like many of the top clubs, lost a number of senior experienced players in the offseason, so is not the same side that took the court last season. Then there are clubs like the Severn Stars who will essentially present a brand new side, so the mystery surrounding how they will jell and work together remains to be seen.
There are fresh faces to the league as a whole too, like Elle McDonald and Lenize Potgieter, so it will be fascinating to see how they not only acclimatise to a new league with a different game style, but sometimes even new rules.
Then there are the senior players like Laura Malcolm and Phumza Maweni who have left the Superleague altogether, so how the holes they leave behind in their respective sides remains to be seen.
Then there is another curveball thrown into the mix of the opening round of fixtures. Not only do Severn and Surrey have to play a game on Saturday, but they have to back up and play each other on Monday night in a rescheduled Round 20 fixture, so the effects of that will be watched with interest.
Opening weekend fixture (all times GMT)
Saturday 11 February
Bath vs Loughborough – 11am – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham
Surrey vs Strathclyde – 12:45pm – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham
Saracens vs Severn – 2:30pm – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham
Leeds vs London – 4:15pm – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham
Manchester vs Celtic – 6pm – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham
Monday 13 February
Surrey vs Severn – 7:30pm – Surrey Sports Park – rearranged Round 20 fixture
Team-by-team seasons previews
Celtic Dragons
Leeds Rhinos
London Pulse
Loughborough Lightning
Manchester Thunder
Saracens Mavericks
Severn Stars
Strathclyde Sirens
Surrey Storm
Team Bath
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