ANOTHER huge round of Vitality Netball Superleague (VNSL) action is done and dusted with plenty to talk about following Round 8, with Team Bath maintaining top spot and a couple of interesting results setting up a real charge to the finish. In this new series, each week Draft Central will compare the most recent ladders given how quickly things can change, and delve into how each round of fixturing can change up positions based on the amount of matches each side has played.

ROUND 7 LADDER

1. Team Bath (7-0)
2. Loughborough Lightning (6-1)
3. Wasps Netball (4-2-1)
4. Saracens Mavericks (4-1-1)
5. Manchester Thunder (4-2)
6. Leeds Rhinos (4-3)
7. Strathclyde Sirens (3-3-2)
8. Surrey Storm (2-6)
9. London Pulse (1-5)
10. Severn Stars (1-6)
11. Celtic Dragons (0-7)

ROUND 8 LADDER

1. Team Bath (8-0)
2. Loughborough Lightning (7-1)
3. Wasps Netball (5-2-1)
4. Saracens Mavericks (5-1-1)
5. Manchester Thunder (5-2)
6. Leeds Rhinos (5-4)
7. Strathclyde Sirens (3-4-2)
8. Surrey Storm (2-6)
9. London Pulse (1-7)
10. Severn Stars (1-7)
11. Celtic Dragons (0-8)

For the first time all season, the unprecedented has happened – a completely unchanged ladder compared to last round. Whilst there is a clear trend of leading sides and bottom sides emerging, with such a mix of matches played throughout the season no one could have expected that results would allow all 11 teams to remain in the same ladder positions one week on from a round which boasted a wealth of changes. Nevertheless, there is plenty to unpack, as Team Bath still retains its undefeated record despite seeing young star Imogen Allison go down with injury early in their match against London Pulse, while Loughborough Lightning were challenged immensely by a much-improved Strathclyde Sirens outfit, which realistically is playing a class above its seventh position on the ladder. A whopping four sides sit with five wins on the board, with Wasps Netball and Saracens Mavericks only just retaining third and fourth on the ladder with a draw apiece, as reigning 2019 champions Manchester Thunder and new franchise Leeds Rhinos trail marginally following brief falls in momentum. Heading further down the ladder, the aforementioned Sirens sit in seventh with three wins, four losses and two draws – against top four sides Wasps and Mavs – while Surrey Storm rounds out the top eight with a 2-6 record for the season after sitting out this round. The bottom three sides see London Pulse, Severn Stars and Celtic Dragons remain as the cellar dwellers for the sixth straight week, with the latter still yet to get a win on the board and looking unlikely to do so given their form this season. Looking to match numbers, and the Rhinos and Sirens currently lead the way with nine games apiece for the season, and sitting right in the middle of the ladder with their 5-4 and 3-4-2 records, respectively. Seven sides sit on eight matches for the season, with the top three and bottom four both included in that tally, whilst its the Maveircks (5-1-1) and Thunder (5-2) which sit on just seven matches. In an intriguing Round 9 quirk, three sides will sit out of proceedings over the Easter long weekend, with an action-packed Round 10/11 the following round. What makes next round most interesting, however, is Surrey Storm being handed an extended break following a bye last week, joining the Sirens and Rhinos on the sideline in Round 9. Meanwhile, Thunder will play two matches next round for just the third time, and first during a standalone round, with Stars, Pulse and Mavericks all looking to capitalise on their respective two encounters too. Lightning, Dragons, Wasps and Bath round out the franchises playing just one match next round. It is safe to say that next week’s intriguing fixture should see a wealth of changes to the ladder which will rival this round, as the competition continues to heat up edging toward the midway point of the 2021 season.

ROUND 7 COVERAGE

Sunday wrap // Monday wrap Stats: Round 7

ROUND 8 COVERAGE

Sunday wrap // Monday wrap Stats: Round 8 – Past ladder updates: Round 3 // Round 4 // Round 5/6 // Round 7