By Stephanie Smarrelli
A logjam in the middle of the Suncorp Super Netball ladder is setting this season up for a thrilling finish.
With just two rounds left to play three teams are desperate to lock in fourth spot.
We know the Vixens, Thunderbirds and Fever have already locked in a finals berth, but who will join them on the quest for premiership glory?
The Lightning are in fourth but only hold the position due to their percentage, leaving the door wide open for the bottom of the pack to sneak in and steal their spot.
The Mavericks are breathing down the necks of the Lightning as they aim to make a historical finals berth in their debut season.
While the Firebirds are still a chance of playing finals too after back-to-back victories, their path looks more unlikely.
WILL LIGHTNING EXTINGUISH FIREBIRDS SPARK?
There’s a storm headed for Nissan Arena Saturday night and the stakes could not be higher.
The Lightning and Firebirds are set to go head-to-head this weekend. The rivalry between SSN’s two Queensland teams is always palpable but this weekend there’s more than just bragging rights on the line.
The Lightning are fighting to hold onto their spot in the top four while the Firebirds are determined to make a late charge into their spot.
A Lightning win will end the Firebirds dreams of playing finals in 2024 but a loss will keep the dream alive.
The Lightning go into the match under a lot of pressure, with a loss to the Mavericks last week and the Thunderbirds awaiting them next week, winning this match will be crucial.
It’s going to be tough for the Lightning because there is nothing more daunting than a team full of belief, it’s what separates the winners from the losers.
And during the last two weekends the Firebirds have ignited with confidence that they can get the job done.
Under the leadership of coaching duo Katie Walker and veteran Roselee Jencke the Firebirds have strung together two consecutive wins for the first time this season.
And last weekend they did it without linchpin Donnell Wallam, a frightening prospect for the Lightning who have only won two out of their last five matches.
Firebirds shooters Tippah Dwan and Emily Moore have proved they can perform under pressure. The last time the sides met in Round 7, the Lightning dismantled the Firebirds winning by 11 goals. But since then the Firebirds have found their form while the Lightning have struggled to get the job done when it matters most.
Lara Dunkley and Macy Gardner hit the circle edge time and time again last weekend and were able to work the ball into the shooting combination of Tippah Dwan and Emily Moore. Lightning’s Leesa Mi Mi, Ava Black and Mahalia Cassidy will need to be on their toes from start to finish to restrict their movement in the attack end.
On the flipside Lightning’s Liz Watson continues to dominate the feeding stats each week and the Firebirds will need to disrupt her partnership with Steph Fretwell and Cara Koenen if they hope to win.
Defensively both teams have plenty of strength when it comes to stealing possession of the ball and the pressure will be on their ball thieves to turn the game.
REST OF THE ROUND
Round 13 begins with the GIANTS hosting the Mavericks on Saturday night. If there's a team capable of stealing a last-minute spot in this year's finals series, it's the Mavericks but they'll need to win this weekend to stay in the running.
The GIANTS side showed promise last weekend in a close match with the Fever but failed to notch a win. They'll need to put together a full four quarter performance against the Mavs to avoid ending the season on the bottom of the ladder.
The GIANTS will be chasing their fourth win of the season this weekend. Two of the SSN’s biggest rivals will face-off when the ladder-leading Vixens host the Fever at JCA this Sunday.
The Vixens have been dominant all season but stumbled last week when they were smashed by a charging Thunderbirds outfit.
With the minor premiership still up for grabs the Fever will be determined to knock the Vixens off their pedestal and give themselves a shot at taking the crown next week.
Round 13 will finish with the Swifts hosting the in-form Thunderbirds.
In red hot form the Thunderbirds have won their last four matches by at least 15 goals while for the Swifts it's been a different story.
Aligning with NAIDOC Week teams will be celebrating the second of two First Nations Rounds this week. Read about the 2024 SSN First Nations Round artwork here and find out some of the ways you can celebrate NAIDOC Week here.
