by Grace Knight
The Bull Sharks are out to flip the narrative against the Sunshine Coast Thunder in round 12 of the 2023 HART netball season.
Although the inexperienced Sapphire players have produced patches of brilliance, they have consistently fallen short of victory by just a few points.
They have won just two games so far this season in their return to top-flight netball, last singing the team song following a round 9 victory over the Cougars.
Currently, the Bull Shark’s Sapphires sit one spot below Thunder on the ladder, adding to the anticipation of this clash.
Sapphire coach Bec Stower acknowledged the team’s progress and improvement throughout the season, especially for the younger players who will carry this experience into next year’s season.
“I definitely think we’ve made huge improvements across the board, building connections and our confidence,” she said.
“Also just getting the experience for some of our younger players to take into next year has been invaluable.”
As for the Ruby team, they are coming off three tough losses against top-four teams, placing them in a must-win position if they hope to be in finals contention.
Currently sitting in fifth place on the ladder, the Rubies will need to win their next three games and hope for a top-of-the-table upset that can bump them up into the top four.
“All of our remaining games are against teams that we’ve already beaten so hopefully we can do the same thing this time around,” coach Kim Boland said.
“But at the end of the day, we’re a young team and the biggest thing for us right now is just our overall growth regardless of the results.”
Last time they met
Sapphire
In their previous encounter in round 5, the Sapphires were defeated 57-50 by the Thunder.
Coach Stower applauded the team’s effort in that game but said they needed to stay in the contest longer.
“It’s been a similar story for most of our games. We had plenty of chances to take the lead but it’s been little errors that have cost us the game,” she said.
“The most important thing for us is to take the opportunities that we get and uphold that momentum.”
Ruby
On the other hand, the Ruby team emerged victorious 43-34 in their previous meeting.
Boland has challenged her troops to replicate their strong start to the season and put together a consistent performance for the entirety of the game.
“Our biggest challenge at the moment has been in our decision making and mental fatigue errors,” she said.
“But if we can maintain our consistency and put together a strong four quarters, we’ll be in a really good place.”
Focus Points
Sapphire
Stower revealed the Thunder have faced challenges in recent weeks due to the absence of key players, but said with their full squad now back in action, she anticipated a tough and physical game.
“It will definitely be a really physical encounter, but I think we just need to focus on us and what we’re doing,” she said.
The Sapphires have identified their turnover conversion rate as an area in need of improvement and have been working extensively on this aspect of their game.
“It’s been a minor percentage between winning and losing, so we’ve tried to look at it from a micro perspective of how our individuals can contribute to that,” she said.
“If each player can cut down one error per game, then that will get us up that extra 5 percent to where we can be securing some more victories.”
Ruby
The Ruby team have shown exceptional strength in their defensive end, with those players creating numerous turnovers and consistently earning MVP awards.
However, coach Boland noted that there have been inconsistencies in the performance of their shooters.
“While our shooters have displayed some great individual excellence, the challenge lies in synchronising their performances,” she said.
“There’s some really nice stuff happening, it’s just unfortunate that they aren’t all consistent at the same time.”
Match day information
Saturday, June 24, Nissan Arena
Ruby
4:00pm Bond Bull Sharks vs Sunshine Coast Thunder
Sapphire
6:00pm Bond Bull Sharks vs Sunshine Coast Thunder