THERE is no shortage of international stars throughout the Suncorp Super Netball league and with one round remaining in the home and away season Draft Central casts an eye over the top performers hailing from the some of the top ranked netballing nations. Given that there is only one player in Laura Langman representing New Zealand, Mwai Kumwenda representing Malawi and Sam Wallace waving the flag for Trinidad and Tobago they will not be taken into account, instead focusing on Jamaica, South Africa and England. However, it is fair to say that all three players have once again been strong contributors to their respective clubs.

ENGLAND

Although there are a host of Roses player in the league it is hard to go past Geva Mentor who, despite playing in a team sitting at the bottom of the ladder, has been a consistent force down back for the Magpies. The goal keeper has been in ripping form with her ability to create tips and deflections consistently on show thanks to her read of the play and high netball IQ. Mentor is a real leader down back for the Pies and has proven to be a key cog with her ability to regain possession and skill to influence the players around her in Mel Bragg and Jodi-Ann Ward while her strength on the rebound is also impressive. Other Roses players that have had impressive seasons include the likes of Jo Harten with the goaler dominating on the super shot and often dragging her side back into the contest while Helen Housby has also been an excitement machine for the Swifts. Wing attack Chelsea Pitman has arguably had her best season for the Thunderbirds showcasing her leadership, impressive timing on the drive and strength around circle edge however it is Mentor’s consistency that pipped her compatriots at the post.

JAMAICA

It was incredibly difficult to choose the top performer for Jamaica given the plethora of talent they have in the SSN and their dominant performances. However, it is hard to look past that of Jhaniele Fowler with the goal shooter going on a tear and beating her own record of 66 goals to nail 69 in her Round 12 effort. Her long reach and split enables her to be a constant threat in the air while her ability to score within the blink of an eye is a key reason for the Fever’s resurgence in 2020. Fowler has increased her versatility this season with the typical holding goal shooter proving that she is not afraid to get on the move and shoot from further out, however she does her most damage from directly under the post. She does the bulk of the shooting for the Fever with Alice Teague-Neeld, Emma Cosh and Verity Charles feeding the ball into her with ease. Her compatriots in Shamera Sterling and Romelda Aiken were also hot on her tail when it comes to being the top performer for Jamaica, with the duo impressing for their respective sides and often changing the course of the game. Sterling is a ball winner, willing to hunt anything and everything while Aiken has recaptured her hot form starring under the post for the Firebirds.

SOUTH AFRICA

Goal shooter Lenize Potgieter has made an undeniable impact since joining the Adelaide Thunderbirds in 2020 with her ability to score with great ease and accuracy. The unconventional shooting style might catch many off-guard but it does not offset the star shooter who has been a lynchpin in attack for the Thunderbirds this season. Her composure with ball in hand, deceptively long split and strong holds make her incredibly difficult to stop, sinking 403 goals for the season with one match still to play. Her connection with youngster Georgie Horjus has been nothing short of impressive with the two syncing up seamlessly, much like their partnership with Pitman out the front. In past seasons the influence of Karla Pretorius has been much more profound and while Phumza Maweni has found her rhythm in the latter half of the season it is hard to go past the efforts of Potgieter and her sheer consistency at the post.