Netball Super League Grand Final: London Pulse seeking to deny Loughborough Lightning three-peat in ‘chess match’ final | Netball News
London Pulse’s head coach Sam Bird thinks that it will be the year of his team after failing against Loughborough Lightning during his previous Grand League final meeting in 2023.
Pulse is looking for his very first title at the London O2 Arena, after winning the Super Cup Super Cup this year before finishing at the top of the table.
Lightning aims to become the first team to win the title for three years of racing, after having reserved a place in the centerpiece at the end of the season for the fifth consecutive season.
Loughborough Lightning continued his hunt for a historic quarter by beating Manchester Thunder 69-57
But Pulse is full of confidence, after having defeated the champions in title just a few weeks ago, and Bird is categorical that the heart of capital outfit is more experienced now and that the team will be ready for the great occasion.
“We are a young side, but we now have players who are the fundamental part of this team that has been part of the club for a few years now,” she said.
“Many of them have been at the club for four or five years, and they have somehow lived and breathed the sorrow not to do everything on the line. And I think they just grew up in the club and are really, really determined to win this year.
“Loughborough is obviously very experienced. They won titles for fun. But we have the impression that it is the year when this balance has shot slightly. We have now experienced internationals in our team, whether they are young in age, they are experienced in terms of high -flying netball.
“And I think it will be a bit like a game of chess and strategy. But I think that for the first time, we are really booming and we are impatient to be in this final.”
Please use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Trade as London Pulse faces Leeds’ rhinos during the inaugural final of the Netball Super Cup
Loughborough came from behind to beat Manchester Thunder 69-57 in the preliminary final of the Netball Super League to reserve his place at the O2, and Hannah Joseph is preparing for a seventh appearance in the confrontation of the end of the season.
“We left at the start of the season by wanting to arrive at this grand final, so we are so happy that we did it,” she said.
“In the back of last week and losing in the semi-finals, it gave us a real fight in this match, we knew that we were going to put everything there to reach the final.
“We want to win three in a row, we named it at the start of the season. It is exciting that we can play Pulse again, for the fourth time, it is not often that you play another team four times.
“We know where we can repair the last time, we have a lot of proofs where we can be better.”
Samantha Wallace-Joseph led Loughborough with 272 goals this season at a conversion rate of 91%, while Pulse’s goal shooter Olivia Tchine finished second in the league with 451 goals behind Elmeré Van der Berg de Manchester Thunder.
Funmi Fadoju played the goal of the defense of goal for Pulse with 31 interceptions, 120 deviations, 77 gains – all the summits of the league – as well as 18 rebounds.
Pulse has been ready to appear for the second time in the grand finale since its debut in Super League in 2019, while Loughborough was looking for his fourth title during his eighth appearance in the point of view of the season.
Live on Sky – Final will be broadcast on Sky Sports YouTube and will be live on Sky Sports + from 5 p.m.
