The long wait is over for Bull Sharks netball fans with the Ruby side set for a round one showdown with the Darling Down Panthers.
The Sapphire Series girls will have to cool their heels for one more week after drawing the bye for the opening round.
Bond Ruby vs Darling Downs Panthers
4pm Sunday 21st April at Nissan Arena
Last time we met:
Rd 13, 2023 in Toowoomba.
Bull Sharks win 55 -50.
Where it will be won:
Panthers are hard competitors, and you can never take them lightly. There is no secret formula against a side like that, we just have to stick to our game plan and our structures and make sure we convert off any turnovers.
What’s new:
Lots has changed in the off season for both clubs, and we almost have to approach this game as if the ledger is 0-0 between the two sides. The Darling Downs Panthers seem to have recruited well from their pathways and they are always such hard competitors. We have a new look side also after a significant turnover of players.
New faces:
Jorja Gisinger is a strong accurate shooter who has demanded elevation to our playing squad after ticking every box and impressing with her over the past two years spent as a Bull Sharks training partner.
Charli Pearse is a crafty mid court player who joins us from our arch-rivals the Titans.
Chanelle Byers a strong hard competitor in the midcourt and has come to the Bull Sharks from the Tasmanian Pathways program to continue her development.
We have also been strengthened by the inclusion of Ocean Karekare and Abi Houston who bring with them the valuable experience gained last year in the Sapphire Series.
What remains the same:
There remains a core of players who were keys for us last season and we will again draw heavily on their skill and expertise in 2024. Shooters Abby Boland and Elka Macaulay renew their partnership, Joesi Gisinger remains our midfield general and reliable defenders Harriet Nicholson and Tehya Hyssett will continue to make life hard for the opposition.
All eyes on:
The Super Shot comes into play in the Ruby Series for the first time this year. With sides earning two points for goals in the last 5 minutes of every quarter, the game can be changed in a split second. We have worked very hard all off-season on our attacking and defensive strategies and how to implement these into our game when the Super Shot is in play.
With Kim Boland