Leeds Rhinos too strong for Celtic Dragons with impressive start to Superleague life, as Manchester Thunder gather to see Strathclyde Valley
Last updated: 12/02/21 8:59 pm
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Dan Ryan, Leeds Rhinos Netball high-performance director and head coach, reflects on how the team won 65-35 Vitality Superleague over the Celtic Dragons.
Dan Ryan, Leeds Rhinos Netball high-performance director and head coach, reflects on how the team won 65-35 Vitality Superleague over the Celtic Dragons.
Leeds Rhinos started live as a netball franchise with a big impact on the Celtic Dragons as the 2021 season of Vitality Superleague began in Wakefield, with the Manchester Thunder champions starting in style as well.
Rhinos are the newest team in the Superleague, but they fired an early warning sign that they are likely to be dangerous opponents as they ran out 65-35 winners over Dragons out of the sort that did not. they succeeded.
Thunder were slower out of the traps than their competitors in Lancashire, but after slipping to Strathclyde after the opening quarter, they put the rest of the game to 53-36 victory. to earn.
A good start to the season continues Saturday with three more games to end Round One, followed by more live action on Sunday and Monday – and you can watch all the action without distributed via Sky Sports YouTube channel.
Superleague Energy – Round One fixtures & products
| Friday | Celtic Dragons 35-65 Leeds Rhinos |
|---|---|
| Strathclyde 36-53 Manchester Thunder | |
| Saturday | Storm Pulse London vs Surrey |
| Bath Team vs Celtic Dragons | |
| Strathclyde Valley vs Severn Stars |
Rhinos charges Dragons to get started in style
Life in the Superleague quickly began for the Rhinos as they flew out of the traps to steer early – an advantage they never gave up against the Dragons because they claimed they deserve and are comfortable in their first official game as a franchise.
With former basketball player Donnell Wallam going from the front, Rhinos ran into a 12-4 lead against the Dragons with a shell, making the 220-mile journey from Cardiff to the court built specifically at Production Park in Wakefield.
They retained their eight-goal lead until the end of the first quarter, Rhea Dixon adding a taste of attraction from the attacking position as England’s greatest player, Jade Clarke, stamped her authority of the game from the position of the center.
Compared to the Dragons tour, Leeds made the short trip across Yorkshire for their Superleague bow and with Fi Toner’s experienced defensive head Vicky Oyesola and Tuaine Keenan making life difficult for Rebekah Robinson the stage arranged for Rhinos to keep going clear. .
Jade Clarke became familiar with her debut for the Rhinos and was instrumental in laying the foundations for the offensive mission while making sure the defensive end had support pockets. .
1:24 Jade Clarke said it was an honor to be back on the Vitality Netball Superleague court and was so proud of her team after the Leeds Rhinos Netball victory.
Rhinos had 12 clear goals at half-time and as is so often the case, the stronger team used the third quarter for a clear draw – conceding just six goals in an impressive third quarter that put pressure on the authority. aca.
The Aussie Wallam player continued to enjoy a live start to the Superleague and with a 49-23 lead at the end of the third quarter, Dan Ryan turned to some of Rhinos ’most talented youngsters.
Both teams will be back for a second time over the weekend, the Dragons will face a turnaround of less than 24 hours when they face Team Bath on Saturday, while Rhinos will face Saracens Mavericks in a competition that will look oral on Monday night.
Rhinos ended in success, bringing in a 30-goal lead with valuable court time for juniors Sienna Rushton, Rosie Harris and Emily Hollingworth while there is much to think about for Tania Hoffman at Dragons.
Superleague – Round two Games
| Sunday | Bath Team vs Loughborough Lightning |
|---|---|
| Storm Surrey vs Saracens Mavericks | |
| Severn vs Wasps stars | |
| Monday | Lightning Loughborough vs Wasps |
| Saracens Mavericks vs Leeds Rhinos |
Leeds Rhinos: Why netball, why now?
Gary Hetherington and Kevin Sinfield explain how netball fits in with the Rhinos franchise and Dan Ryan can’t wait to get started
Rally rally to see stagnant Sirens
The Manchester Thunder are champions who want to retain their title, and fought back from a slow start to build where they left off during the relegation 2020 season.
Thunder had a quick start with four wins from four games before the season was postponed amid coronavirus pandemic, but it was Sirens who took the early lead.
An early turn allowed Sirens to create a two-pronged lead and with non-sexual errors thwarting Thunder’s cause, it was Sirens who took the early credit.
Beth Goodwin under attack and new employer Towera Vinkhumbo as a defender gave the Scottish franchise enough protection in the first quarter of the season. Lynsey Gallagher scored three clear goals for them and it was four before the end of the opening 12 minutes.
Following 12-8, Thunder made changes as Laura Malcolm moved to center and Caroline O’Hanlon to the wing defense and with a quick start to the quarter saw them stop the Sirens’ flow and fight back to the tournament. balance at 16-16 and then hit the front.
Karen Greig’s team did not look back from that moment, closing out the first half with a 23-19 lead when Eleanor Cardwell, who enjoyed an impressive Legends Series for England, began to find the goal with more consistency. .
In a tactical tweak, Malcolm moved from midfield to wing after the first quarter and Rose of England used all her knowledge to control the center of the court and help Thunder get off to a successful start.
After turning a four-goal deficit into a four-goal win, Thunder introduced Kerry Almond into the goal keeper bible, just days after retiring to replace the injured Loreen Ngwire. .
This result was a strong defensive finish in the third quarter with a low score that sent Thunder 10-7 to draw more clearly and allow Greig some of the talented youngsters to take the franchise. -enter for the last quarter.
The impressive Lois Pearson was one of those, she teamed up with Cardwell to help Thunder steer the lead into double figures. With games coming thick and fast, both teams turned their squad through the closing stages, finally stopping Thunder with a victory with plenty of room for improvement before returning next week.
Sirens can take a big heart from getting the champions to work for victory and put themselves in a good position to take on Severn Stars on Saturday.
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.