Latest news with #ManchesterThunder
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pulse beat Thunder to go top of Super League
London Pulse produced a determined display to move back to the top of the Netball Super League with a 58-48 win at Manchester Thunder. Pulse were 17-10 in front after the first quarter but the hosts reduced the deficit to three points as the visitors led 27-24 at half-time. Advertisement However, Pulse stepped up their game and were 44-37 up at the end of the third quarter before going on to secure victory. Olivia Tchine scored a game-high 27 goals for Pulse, while Elmere van der Berg scored 23 for the Thunder, who remain third with one round of fixtures to go before the play-offs. "The second quarter, in particular, was a bit disappointing," said London Pulse head coach Sam Bird. "We just took our foot off the pedal a little bit. We just lost a little bit of focus. That is certainly something I want to be improving on. "When they got their brains back together and they came out really hard I thought they did really well. Advertisement "It's a difficult place to come. It's really good for the players to play that well away." The three points meant Pulse are two points clear of second-placed Loughborough Lightning. Both teams are guaranteed a top two finish and will contest the major semi-final in the play-offs with the winner going through to the final. The loser will face the winner of the minor semi-final between third and fourth - which will be between Manchester Thunder and London Mavericks - to determine the other finalist. Loughborough Lightning had briefly gone top of the table with a dominant 79-58 win against London Mavericks on Friday. Advertisement Lightning, who have won three of the previous four Grand Finals, were in control throughout and opened a 23-12 lead at the end of the first quarter. That set the tone for the contest, with Samantha Wallace-Joseph finishing with 24 goals for the victors, and Ella Clark and Berri Neil also impressing with 14 and 13 goals respectively. Emily Andrew contributed 24 goals for the fourth-placed Mavericks. Birmingham Panthers won 75-69 in the opening match of the round on Thursday. On Sunday, Georgia Rowe scored 43 goals to help bottom side Cardiff Dragons beat Leeds Rhinos 60-52 and move within a point of their opponents in the table.
South Wales Argus
03-06-2025
- General
- South Wales Argus
Lauren Palmer loving the ride as Netball Super League head coach
Every athlete has a coach who inspired them, and Lauren Palmer does not need to look far for hers. An associate dentist by trade, the 33-year-old is the youngest head coach in the Netball Super League this season and earned her current role with NIC Leeds Rhinos following spells with Manchester Thunder and England's Future Roses. There, she was able to learn from the likes of Karen Greig, Jess Thirlby, and Tracey Neville and Palmer admits she could not have imagined better places to cut her teeth. 'I started coaching when I was about 18 for a local club coaching their under-9s and under-10s,' said Palmer. 'I was at university at the time and I had picked up a few injuries as a player that brought playing to a halt but I love netball and wanted to still be involved so I started doing that. 'I'm quite competitive and always striving to be better so I started to work with that group as they got older and had a bit of success at county and regional level. 'I do enjoy dentistry but netball is now a viable career option so I ended up with Manchester Thunder for four years as their pathway lead coach and did a bit with England before moving to Rhinos. 'Having been at Thunder for so long, Karen Greig played a big part in my coaching as she used to coach me as a player so you can see similarities in our coaching styles. 'From being part of the England environment, Jess [Thirlby] and Sonia [Mkoloma] have also had a big influence and I was lucky enough to watch some of Tracy Neville's sessions so they're the key figures who have shaped my coaching. 'I've just tried to take the best bits of all of them and put my own personal spin on it.' Palmer has enjoyed a steady start to her Netball Super League coaching career, despite a whirlwind start that saw her brought into the role just weeks before the start of the season. A run to the Netball Super Cup final, where they were defeated by London Pulse, was a good early sign and regular season wins against LexisNexis Cardiff Dragons and Birmingham Panthers have followed. She added: 'As a coach you know your limitations and although I am the youngest in the Super League, the transition has felt seamless. 'I was a little bit nervous going into the first session but because I'd been in and around that environment at Manchester Thunder and I coached a lot of the girls with England futures, I was quietly confident that I could deliver.'The girls had a turbulent time in pre-season and I wanted to see if we could turn it around. 'Reaching the final of the Super Cup took us a back a little, but it gave us confidence coming into the season. 'We've done well in the majority of the games, there've only been a few where we came away frustrated. 'For me, we've been the team that has run everyone close but couldn't get over the line and that's something we want to improve on.' It's clear that Palmer is loving life at the club, helped in part by the opportunity to coach the likes of Geva Mentor Joyce Mvula and Cassie Howard week-in, week-out. She said: 'Walking into an environment with seasoned professionals like Geva and Joyce, and where I didn't know that many faces, was a little daunting but everyone at Rhinos has been so welcoming and that was huge for me. 'The club created a really good environment and I'm loving every second of it. 'Everyone gets access to the same amount of my time and resources but there is a difference in how you talk to someone at the start of their career compared to the end. 'With someone like Geva you've got to give her respect, what she has done in her career is phenomenal and not many people have achieved what she has. 'She has been so open and receptive to ideas. The Super Shot is something new in England but she knows it from playing in SSN [Suncorp Super Netball] and it has been really good bouncing ideas off of her.
South Wales Argus
02-06-2025
- Sport
- South Wales Argus
NSL Unwrapped: Mavericks beat Panthers with last-minute shot
Elsewhere, Manchester Thunder booked their tickets to the semi-finals with victory over LexisNexis Cardiff Dragons while Nottingham Forest kept their play-off hopes alive with a second win of the season over east Midlands neighbours Loughborough Lightning. At the Copper Box Arena, London Pulse made it back-to-back wins with victory over NIC Leeds Rhinos to move clear at the top of the table. Ice cold Andrew clinches win for Mavericks London Mavericks' Emily Andrew showcased nerves of steel to secure a last-gasp 69-67 win at Birmingham Panthers. With a minute left on the clock and the scores tied, Andrew confidently sunk a Soft and Gentle Super Shot to propel her side into the lead and earn a crucial three points for play-off chasing Mavericks. The goal shooter's feat capped off a dazzling offensive display as she fired home 18 goals and seven Soft and Gentle Super Shots to help tighten Mavericks' hold on fourth place. It was a back-and-forth affair in the first half, with Mavericks holding a slender 36-31 lead after the opening 30 minutes. In the second half, Panthers roared back to level the scores at 67-67 and set up a grandstand finish, but the visitors could only watch as Andrew as confidently converted her last-ditch attempt. Pulse too strong for Rhinos London Pulse reclaimed their place at the top of the table after a confident 73-50 win over NIC Leeds Rhinos. A dominant first half ended with Pulse enjoying a healthy 42-18 lead over the visitors, fuelled by deadeye marksmanship from Liv Tchine and Sophie Kelly. The duo combined to register 28 goals by the interval, with Kelly chipping in seven Soft and Gentle Super Shots. Rhinos fought back after the break but were left with too much ground to make up, with Pulse continuing to showcase their shooting prowess. The hosts have already confirmed their place in the post-season play-offs but there was no complacency on show at the Copper Box Arena as they held on to record a second successive league win and strengthen their chances of finishing the regular season in first place. Thunder seal their final four spot Manchester Thunder edged a 59-54 victory over LexisNexis Cardiff Dragons at home to secure their spot in the top four. On a day that saw Taylor McKevitt and Josie Huckle both receive their 50th caps for the north west side, it was a tasty battle at the Belle Vue Arena. Thunder came into the match knowing victory would cement their place in the play-offs and came out of the blocks firing to take the early lead, with Huckle quickly shutting down any opportunities for their opposition. But with Dragons also putting in a strong defensive performance, it was not all going Thunder's way. The Manchester side held a 32-25 lead at the break but suddenly stumbled in the third quarter as Cardiff roared back into contention and within just three points. Clever use of the Soft and Gentle Super Shot by Chelsea Beard saw the Welsh side pile the pressure on their opposition in what was shaping up to be a thrilling finish. But it was ultimately the strong defensive partnership of Huckle and Nicola Smith that fired Thunder to a five goal victory, with four rebounds, five deflections and 10 gains between them. A close finish for Dragons saw the Welsh outfit clinch a losing bonus point. Forest come out on top in East Midlands derby Nottingham Forest held off a Loughborough Lightning fight back to beat the defending champions 66-62 on their home turf. Victory kept Forest's play-off hopes alive having now completed the double over the defending champions. The visitors extended their lead to 10 goals at the half, with a brilliant second quarter making all the difference as Rolene Streutker put in a stellar performance in the circle; the goal shooter sunk 41 goals over four quarters. With play-off hopes on the line, Lightning saw a late surge in the fourth quarter and used the Soft and Gentle Super Shot to their advantage as they closed the gap. But it was ultimately too much for Lightning to overcome as a dominant defensive performance from Tash Pavelin saw her awarded Kissimmee Player of the Match and helped her side get back to winning ways. Thorns felled by Kelpies Elsewhere, England Thorns succumbed to a whitewash in their three-game Aurora Series against Australia after a 64-32 defeat in their final encounter in London. The Test series was fought by the two sides in England for the first time but ended with a comprehensive 3-0 series win for the visitors after following up their 63-34 win in the first game by running out 62-30 winners in the second. A 31-16 deficit at half-time of the third Test was as good as it got for England as Australia pulled away in the second half.
BBC News
30-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Thunder beat Dragons to clinch play-off spot
Manchester Thunder edged past Cardiff Dragons 59-54 to secure a top-four finish in the Netball Super van der Berg top-scored with 37 goals at Belle Vue Arena on Friday as the hosts joined London Pulse and Loughborough Lightning in reaching the for Thunder moved them up to second in the standings on 28 points, but they trail leaders Pulse on goal shooter Georgia Rowe scored 26 for Dragons, who remain bottom after losing all but one of their 12 matches so far. Defending champions Lightning host fifth-placed Nottingham Forest on Saturday, while Pulse face Leeds Rhinos and Birmingham Panthers take on fourth-placed London Mavericks on Sunday.
South Wales Guardian
25-05-2025
- Sport
- South Wales Guardian
NSL Unwrapped: Lightning and Pulse secure top four
Lightning beat LexisNexis Cardiff Dragons while Pulse defeated Birmingham Panthers. London Mavericks took a huge step forward in the battle for fourth as they beat Nottingham Forest while Manchester Thunder took the northern bragging rights with victory over NIC Leeds Rhinos. Lightning secure top four Loughborough Lightning became the first team to book their places in the Netball Super League Play-Offs with a 71-54 victory. Samantha Wallace-Joseph led the scoring for the visitors at the Utilita Arena in the Welsh capital as she was rewarded with the Kissimmee Player of the Match. Down the other end of the court, Alice Harvey helped to restrict the Dragons shooters, who shot at 81% compared with Lightning's 93%. Pulse pounce on Panthers to make play-offs London Pulse secured their spot in the semi-finals with a 63-58 win over Birmingham Panthers. The hosts found themselves behind after the first quarter as Panthers were clinical from within the goal area, before Pulse responded to lead at the break. The team in pink slowly eked out a greater gap as changes to their seven proved fruitful. And despite Panthers piling on the pressure late on, Pulse did enough to come away with a narrow win. Mavericks make their mark London Mavericks staked their claim for a top four spot as they defeated Nottingham Forest 57-48. Emily Andrew was at her free scoring best with 42 goals, but it was Razia Quashie who stole the show as she restricted Forest's star shooter Rolene Streutker to just 21 goals. The result pushed Mavericks six points clear of Forest in fifth with three games of the regular season left to play. Thunder win War of the Roses Manchester Thunder triumphed in a 69-55 win over northern rivals NIC Leeds Rhinos. The away side made a lightning-fast start at the First Direct Arena in Leeds as quick scoring and a buzzer-beating goal from Elmeré van der Berg pushed Thunder out to an 11-point lead after the first 15 minutes. The northwest-based outfit further increased their advantage before Rhinos were able to get a foothold on proceedings, reducing the deficit to just six at half time. There was an immediate reaction in the third quarter as Manchester Thunder's defence began to turn the screw. The gap remained thanks to a professional performance in the final quarter from Thunder who saw out their eighth win of the season. History made at the Copper Box England Thorns made history as they took on the Australian Kelpies in the curtain-raiser to Pulse's match on Sunday. Their 63-34 defeat to the team from Down Under marked the first match in a maiden series between England and Australia on English soil. The final two matches of the three-game Aurora Series will take place next weekend, with the Thorns taking on the Kelpies before Loughborough Lightning and London Pulse's home matches in Round 12. To keep up with the latest news, make sure to follow the @NetballSL on X, Instagram and TikTok, Netball Super League on Facebook and LinkedIn, and subscribe to our newsletter.
