Thunderbirds lie to protect player &# 39;s pregnancy in a white lie.

Source : ABC NEWS

Four rounds into the Super Netball season and just one of the eight teams are still undefeated.

The NSW Swifts have so far managed to live up to the favourites tag many pundits gave them since the signing of import Grace Nweke. They now sit eight points clear at the top of the ladder after their 71-63 victory over the Queensland Firebirds at Ken Rosewall Arena.

In the Melbourne Derby, the Vixens continued their dominance over the Mavericks, 67-59.

The Sunshine Coast Lightning and West Coast Fever clash in Perth was tipped to be the game of the round, and it absolutely delivered with a close contest and some late drama.

The home team capitalised on an incorrect penalty set by Reilley Batcheldor and a missed super shot attempt from Cara Koenen to pinch the lead in the final minute, 68-66.

But the game that took everyone by surprise was the Giants upset over reigning premiers the Adelaide Thunderbirds in Sydney, 64-63.

The Giants were desperate to avoid equalling their worst-ever start to a season — none from four, set last year — as some of their veterans got back to their best.

If you missed it, don’t worry — we’ll get you up to speed with our Super Netball Round-Up.

Thunderbirds tell white lie

There has been a bit of mystery surrounding the fitness of the Thunderbirds’ Jamaican bookends, after Romelda Aiken-George (knee surgery) and Shamera Sterling-Humphrey (calf tendonitis) barely featured in the side’s successful Team Girls Cup campaign.

The pre-season tournament was held in Adelaide and sent social media into overdrive when eagle-eyed fans spotted South African defender Sanmarie Visser chatting with club staff.

Visser was a stand-out at the Nations Cup in February, where the Proteas faced England in the final. It was only a matter of time before a Super Netball club came calling.

We just didn’t expect it to be the Thunderbirds because as far as everyone knew, their defensive end — the best in the league — was ready to fire again in their quest for a three-peat.

The arrival of Visser at the same time Sterling-Humphrey was injured indicated something was up. Instead, the Thunderbirds announced Visser as a temporary replacement for Aiken-George.

People weren’t buying it. Why would they sign a defender for a shooter? And why did they need another defender if the likes of premiership winners Latanya Wilson, Tilly Garrett, Hannah Petty, Taylah Williams and Sterling-Humphrey were all fit to play?

Ahead of round one, Aiken-George was subjected to a last-minute fitness test that she passed. The club said she’d exceeded expectations after surgery and that Visser would no longer be required. But instead of cutting ties, they elevated Visser to a training partner contract.

Both Aiken-George and Stering-Humphrey played in the opening three rounds. Yet, the latter has looked off her game, admitting she felt ill because of her “accelerated heart rate”.

Then heading into round four, what felt like the worst kept secret in the league was revealed to be true when Sterling-Humphrey announced her first pregnancy. It speaks to her incredible ability that she was able to play every minute of those matches while pregnant.

Teammate Tayla Williams told Fox Netball on Sunday that it was true Sterling-Humphrey did battle through calf tendonitis throughout the pre-season, but that it was also a convenient story.

Meanwhile, head coach Tania Obst was left with the tough task of trying to keep up the club’s white lie that Visser was ever signed to replace Aiken-George.

“We’ve known for a little while, I don’t know how long that is, or what that timeline looks like, but yeah, you know, it was great that she was able to go for as long as she did and now, we give someone else an opportunity,” Obst told Fox Netball.

“I suppose it’s funny how things happen, we had an opportunity with Romelda’s knee clean-out to bring in someone for a temporary replacement player, then Sanmarie went on to be a training partner and is now replacing Shammy.”

It’s obvious they were trying to protect their player. They should be commended for that. But now that we all know, why not just be transparent and drop the act? How very netball.

As for Visser, we got a little taste of what she’s capable of in the world’s best league. Across 55 minutes, she tallied two intercepts, five deflections, one rebound and three pick-ups.

Giants upset premiers

We had to check the date several times during the Giants match against the Thunderbirds, because it felt like we had travelled back in time to 2021.

That was the last year they were in the Super Netball grand final, back when their form was at its absolute best. The Giants of 2021 were hard to contain, they were zippy in attack and absolutely loved punishing teams with the two-point super shot.

The following season they played finals. But since 2023, they’ve really dropped off the pace — finishing sixth and eighth — despite their line-up looking very similar.

The longevity of England legend Jo Harten has been questioned, as the goal shooter’s movement and overall effectiveness has waned since managing a dodgy knee.

The tactics of head coach Julie Fitzgerald have also been a hot topic.

In their opening three games this season, the Giants lost by smaller margins than last year. In 2024 it was a combined 41 goals, now just 26. Despite the improvement, they have once again been stuck at the bottom of the ladder.

Nobody was tipping them to beat the Thunderbirds and yet, the way Harten used the angles of her body and a crafty hold to keep the ball out of Visser’s reach, showed her experience counts.

Hay also got the start in wing attack as Hope White had been ill throughout the week, and played like her life depended on it, topping the goal assists stat for her team.

The most consistent section of the court for the Giants has definitely been their defensive unit and Erin O’Brien did a great job getting under Aiken-George’s skin. The 21-year-old was a major reason why they won the match.

So, are the Giants back? It’s too soon to say. Let’s see how they do against the Lightning, Swifts and Fever as we head towards the halfway point.

Swifts remain favourites

When the Swifts signed Grace Nweke, they instantly upped their chances of a premiership and four rounds into the season the New Zealand Silver Fern has well and truly settled in.

At 1.93m tall, Nweke gives the Swifts a strong target under the post. They only require two to three passes off the centre to get the ball into her hands.

Throughout history, it’s been unusual to see anyone but Jamaicans Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard or Aiken-George leading the goal stat and yet Newke sits top (202 goals at 94 per cent accuracy).

Nweke had never combined with English goal attack Helen Housby before joining the Swifts, yet those two are proving to be a formidable combination.

Housby leads the league for goal assists (78) and is third for super shots (14), showcasing her trust in her new shooting partner and her readiness to pick up the slack when Nweke is double tagged and unable to present to the ball.

Shooting at an average 92 per cent, the Swifts have scored a total 271 points. Which is 25 more than the next best team.

The only thing standing in their way is a lack of consistency throughout the entire game and the last two rounds they’ve made a bad habit of starting slow.

Against the Firebirds they lost the first quarter 18-15. Against the Thunderbirds, it was 18-11.

Meanwhile, head coach Briony Akle believes the key difference from their sixth-place finish last season to now is the internal competition. The form of No.11 player Grace Whyte — a wing attack, goal attack swing — has kept several full-time contracted players out of contention.

Whyte was ruled out late in round four with an ankle complaint, opening the door for Allie Smith. Meanwhile, Sophie Fawns is still yet to hit the court.

“You’ve got to earn the right to be out there, that competition is what’s keeping us ahead of the game in terms of fighting for a spot, knowing that you’ve got to turn up at every training session … It’s a great headache for us,” Akle said.