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 […]
Games of the Weekend | May 10 – 13
A TOP-TWO clash, fierce rivalries and ladder defining matches are all just some of the options on offer in another jam packed weekend of world netball. ANZ PREMIERSHIP MATCH OF THE ROUND Central Pulse vs Mainland TactixSunday at 4pmFly Palmy Arena, Palmerston North There is another top two clash in the ANZ Premiership this weekend, […]
Top of the table NSL clash lives up to its billing
IN the battle for top spot on the Netball Super League table, it was the Manchester Thunder who ultimately prevailed, downing the Loughborough Lightning by four goals. In a match befitting of its top two status, it was tight and tense right the way through, with no obvious winner for much of the match. Breaking […]
Games of the Weekend | May 4 – 6
IT may be a new calendar month, but the level of entertainment in world netball has not changed, with top end of the table clashes aplenty. ANZ PREMIERSHIP MATCH OF THE ROUND Central Pulse vs Northern MysticsSunday at 4pmThe Trusts Arena, Auckland After what happened last week, this match now takes on a different level […]
Lightning flexes muscles as Sirens finally secure points
THE Loughborough Lightning really showed their class against the Leeds Rhinos on the weekend in the Netball Super League, downing the home side 64-56. The Rhinos were their own worst enemy at times as the Lightning proved why they are one of the league’s best in the business. After a miss skewed pass in the […]
Games of the Weekend | April 26-29
ANZ PREMIERSHIP MATCH OF THE ROUND Northern Mystics vs Mainland TactixMonday at 7:30pmThe Trusts Arena, Auckland The weekend’s ANZ Premiership action concludes with a top of the table epic. The Tactix and Mystics are off to a strong start to begin this season, but one of their undefeated starts will come to an end on […]
RECAP | NSL 2024 – Round 10
DESPITE the best efforts of a determined Saracens Mavericks, the Loughborough Lightning once again proved too strong and defeated their fellow Londoners 68-60. For the most part it was a tight affair, with the second quarter making all the difference. After initially trading goals to start the match, it was the Lightning who were the […]
Games of the Weekend | April 19-22
ON the menu in World Netball this week includes an English top four match up, a much anticipated match up between former team mates in Australia, and an intriguing clash in New Zealand. ANZ PREMIERSHIP MATCH OF THE ROUNDCentral Pulse vs WBOP MagicSaturday at 4pmTSB Arena, Wellington The first fixture of the entire ANZ Premiership […]
RECAP | NSL 2024 – Round 9
THE Cardiff Dragons have now won the most amount of games they have won in a season since 2019 after they defeated Team Bath 52 goals to 46. The game was tight for much of the match, but the Dragons put their foot down just enough in the third term to secure the win. Although […]
GAMES OF THE WEEKEND | April 12 to 14 2024
FOR the first time in 2024, all three of the world’s biggest netball leagues are up and running, so we are going to take a look at some of the key matches around the world this weekend. ANZ PREMIERSHIP MATCH OF THE ROUND Northern Stars vs. Central PulseSunday at 4pmPulman Arena, Auckland Although it is […]
Big margins the flavour of the NSL weekend
THE order of the weekend in the Netball Super League was big margins, with plenty of double digit margins across the menu. One of these was the London Pulse’s 21 goal win over the Strathclyde Sirens. Although it was one of the Sirens’ best performances scoring wise this season, it was not enough as the […]