Karen Greig and Manchester Thunder have an unlimited business to attend this Vitality Netball Superleague season
Manchester Thunder will have to wait a long time to try to defend the Vitality Netball Superleague title they won in 2019, but they are coming close this season with a strong squad and expert participation within the ranks they coach.
On May 19, 2019 at the Copper Box Arena in London, Thunder recorded a stunning 57-52 win over Wasps Netball to win the 2019 Grand Vitality Netball Superleague Final.
Inspired by the shameless shooting of Eleanor Cardwell, Karen Greig ‘s side completed the third win of the season on Mel Mansfield’ s team to win their first title since 2014.
The competition provided a good chance for retiring Kerry Almond and showed Thunder grit while making brilliant reviews in the second and fourth quarters.
As the 2020 season began in February last year, their scenes were based on dealing with a piece of history that they were not so happy with; the fact that they never won back titles.
1:07 Check out the best moments when the Manchester Thunder defeated Netball Wasps in the Grand Vitality Netball Superleague Final
Before the term began, Cardwell built up their confidence in eradicating that reality.
“We all believe, 100 percent, that we can achieve back titles. That’s always the goal. That was always a goal when we won it back in 2012 and 2014, and it’s it’s just the next step we need to take. “
Thunder started the 2020 season as they finished the previous one, with four wins from four games. However, COVID-19 changed everything and forced the competition to cancel.
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Now, as the 2021 campaign begins, head coach Greig has retained most of her senior squad, having added younger talent to their ranks as coaching partners. and has integrated a key figure into its coaching staff.
At the end of January, Tracey Neville announced that she would be returning to Thunder to join Gabrielle Towell as one of Greig ‘s support coaches.
The move marks England’s head coach’s first steps back to netball after her maternity leave and sees her return to the franchise that led her to two Superleague titles between 2011 and 2015.
At the time, Greig was Neville’s assistant coach but their relationship goes back much further, as the two first met as teenagers playing for Greater Manchester.
When Greig was part of the U14s and Neville was a U16s, they would train and play against each other, before Greig also joined Neville ‘s club team.
Neville was thrilled to develop as Thunder’s coach and individual
Tracey Neville is looking forward to developing as a coach and as a person as she returns to elite-level netball after her maternity leave.
“One of the key things we created was not only partnership off-court, but we also established partnership on the court,” Neville told Sky Sports about Greig.
“Karen was one of the best on-sync hunters I’ve ever played. Her percentage was always high, every time she got the ball she was always on .
“When someone asks which hands I want the ball to be in to win the World Cup final, me or Karen? She was always the one I used to be on the ball with. put her hands up because I was sure she would have gotten that picture in. “
One of Karen’s key features is her mental focus. She comes across as an extrovert, but I think she’s incredibly inspiring. She knows what she wants to do, how she is going to get there and in doing so, she is probably one of the most organized people I have ever met.
The court’s partnership of the two lived through their domestic and international playing roles and during that time, the relationship also flourished. The two women know each other well and that knowledge underpins their professional relationship.
“Karen’s meticulous and attention to detail is so amazing. I think that’s why she’s created so much success for herself as a coach,” Neville said of her head coach.
“Karen has this natural ability to bring out the best in people. You always need someone by your side in a training session who can take the mickey away from you and make you smile.
“However, you also have confidence in them to be able to deliver the messages you want, to increase the franchise’s performance. That’s very important.”
Tracey Neville and Karen Greig have worked together many times over the years
Of course, this time around at Thunder the shoe is on the other leg with Greig leading the charge and Neville as her assistant.
After such a long time as the one the buck will stop with, Neville is desperate to grow into her new role within the coaching unit.
“I’m really interested in seeing how my personality grows as a helper,” said Neville. “I think there are real skills that need to be there to be a supporter and I haven’t had a chance to develop for the last 15 years.
“I’m really challenged to be in that role and I hope I can take on that role and reassure Karen that there is someone behind her who supports and challenges her.”
Another sign of the couple’s acquaintance with each other is that Greig has decided to challenge Neville even further this season, and steer him towards a new area of court.
“Through the way she works, her design and the way she can break teams into pieces, I know Tracey can work the offensive areas in court,” Greig said.
“When she came back, I thought it was going to be a challenge for her to be an assistant coach and then I thought, we’ll challenge her even further and throw in some defensive unit work too. “
Thunder’s preseason rounds, including their own Rise Again Festival, meant that Greig was able to run out of various combinations and give each member of her squad playing time.
With the likes of Cardwell and Malcolm continuing to thrive on the international stage, Caroline O’Hanlon highlights her class in the recent Spirits Legends Series and captain Emma Dovey anchored securely, Thunder has all the elements they need on the court.
But, as head coach and athlete will tell you, club culture is also crucial and both Neville and Greig work hard to make sure Thunder remains as strong as it used to be. never.
Manchester Thunder Squad 2021
| High Squad | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Berri Neil | Lois Pearson | Caroline O’Hanlon | |
| Emma Dovey | Rebekah Airey | Eleanor Cardwell | |
| Laura Malolm | Amy Carter | Joyce Mvula | |
| Kerry Almond | |||
| Training Partners | |||
| Alicia Scholes | Ella stands | Emilia Roscoe | |
| Millie Sanders | Elia McCormick |
“Everyone is talking about Thunder being a family and us as a family unit, I truly believe that’s how we’ve always been,” Greig said.
“From Tracey coming in as head coach [back in 2011] and incorporating those virtues, I know they were qualities I wanted to pursue when I took over.
“Some of the girls we have are still this year, played under Tracey, as I did. So that family unit of players and the respect that the players give us, is something that we want to continue.
“The girls definitely know when they have to work hard for us, but there are times when they know they can giggle, banter a bit and bring back a bit. [to us] In addition. It is very important that there are two sides to it. “
For Thunder, for the first time to test the results of their culture in a competitive environment, they will face Strathclyde on the opening night of the season in Wakefield.
At Studio 001, they will be in second place in court and after that, they will have the opportunity to outsource their competitors for the rest of the opening weekend.
With Greig, Neville and Towell in charge, and an ambitious squad left, the 2019 Vitality Netball Superleague heroes look well placed to keep an eye on the award and everything they can do to write a new piece of history and get titles in consecutive (completed) seasons.
Sky Sports is your home of online football. The Vitality Netball Superleague returns Friday at 4.45pm on Sky Sports Mix, with a 10-game weekend. All competitions will be shown across Sky Sports, Sky Sports YouTube channel or England Netball YouTube channel.