Super Netball Round-Up: Firebirds legend’s snide remark, Fowler-Nembhard set to return and Diamonds struggle at Lightning

The tables have turned in Super Netball — after two rounds of play, a powerhouse is stuck at the bottom of the ladder, whilst last year’s troubled club is on the right path for redemption.

It’s unusual for the West Coast Fever to sit outside the top four and they face a very particular challenge — how quickly can they get shooting target Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard back on court?

The Queensland Firebirds 67-54 victory handed the Fever a second straight defeat as incoming coach Kiri Wills guided her team to their first back-to-back wins to start a season since 2016 — the same year they last won a premiership — only for a Firebirds legend to make a snide remark about the club’s culture.

The NSW Swifts and Melbourne Mavericks brought us the match of the round, as the Swifts got it done 68-62 on the back of a better super shot strategy. An intense and physical battle made for entertaining viewing, thanks to minimal interference from the umpires.

On Sunday, Shamera Sterling-Humphrey admitted she felt ill throughout the Adelaide Thunderbirds’ 60-45 defeat of the Sunshine Coast Lightning but it didn’t stop the goal keeper from racking up 11 gains, picking up the player of the match award and embarrassing a couple of Australian Diamonds along the way.

To round out the weekend, the Melbourne Vixens bounced back from their horror start to the season last week, overcoming the Giants 61-55 in a grinding contest.

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

How badly do Fever need Jhaniele?

Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard has been the leading goal scorer in every season of Super Netball since she signed with the Fever in 2018.

Throughout that time, the 1.98m tall Jamaican has avoided major injury to spearhead their attack with incredible accuracy and rebounding capability.

For so long the Fever’s game plan has focused on feeding a player unmatched anywhere else in the world and with that in mind it’s no surprise they’re struggling to perform without her.

Some ripping form from 21-year-old upcoming shooter Olivia Wilkinson in their pre-season, alongside another one of their Jamaican imports Shanice Beckford, gave fans maybe a false sense of security about their prospects with Fowler-Nembhard off on maternity leave. Especially as replacement player and Malawi veteran Mwai Kumwenda continues to work on her fitness after having a baby last July. She is yet to play a full Super Netball game.

Two weeks into their official campaign, the Fever have lost their opening matches by a combined 31 points and scored fewer goals than any other team (103).

It says a lot about the team’s reliance on Fowler-Nembhard that their season now hinges on her return. In the past month, she has indicated her desire to come back and play after tragically losing her baby in January.

Netball Australia clarified that when Fower-Nembhard is back, Kumwenda will become a training partner and continue to be paid the same wage as her replacement player contract. This is covered by insurance money and sits outside the salary cap.

So how quickly could we see Fower-Nembhard hit the court? And how potent will she be after missing the entire pre-season with the rest of her team?

No exact date has been locked in, but the club has confirmed she has already completed the four weeks’ notice required to return to work from maternity leave. As soon as she is cleared fit by high-performance staff and the team doctor, she will be available for selection.

With a split round up next, the Fever have got an extra week up their sleeve as well, meaning Fowler-Nembhard could be back within the fortnight to play the Vixens in Melbourne.

Former Firebirds take a shot 

The Firebirds have got off to their best-ever start in Super Netball and from the outside looking in, the vibes are high under new coach Wills and new captains Hulita Veve and Ruby Bakewell-Doran.

Clearly the fans feel they’re on track to have an excellent year too, as Saturday’s sell-out crowd of 4,526 at the Queensland State Netball Centre set an attendance record for their first home game in a season.

There’s a lot to celebrate as they try to leave the turmoil of last season behind, but what soured the result in our eyes, was the disappointing attitude of club legends.

In an effort to repair the team environment, Wills sat down the playing group and got them to re-watch the Firebirds’ trans-Tasman premiership wins of 2015 and 2016.

The legacy of the club was at an all-time high. They were the only team to ever win consecutive titles in the combined Australian and New Zealand league that ran from 2008-16.

Past champions of this era Laura Geitz and Kim Ravaillion were part of these teams and have always been respected amongst the community for the way they left it all on the line.

Young netballers idolised them. They were also popular for their shiny image. You could suggest their ability to toe the line won them brownie points with those that ran the game.

Amidst the chaos of 2024, when Bec Bulley and the Firebirds parted ways with five weeks left to play, captain Ravaillion fronted the media and denied there was any animosity between the players and coach — despite multiple sources confirming otherwise.

Defender Remi Kamo and shooter Donnell Wallam were not re-signed. Both headed overseas for a fresh start and Kamo submitted an official complaint about the club’s culture.

On the weekend, Geitz and Ravaillion appeared to mock the pair’s experience when they shared a story to Instagram of the players singing the team song with the caption: “I reckon the culture is in pretty safe hands.”

Yes, the club may have turned over a new leaf, thanks to fresh leadership and coaching personnel. But to publicly make this remark is another instance of key Firebirds’ figures suggesting there is nothing to see here and undermining the experiences of upset players.

Romelda Aiken-George, Beryl Friday and Helena Saunders are some other examples of Firebirds that have left the club over its history on bad terms.

Athletes should be encouraged to speak up and follow the complaints process when they feel like something is wrong — not ridiculed. This take from Geitz and Ravaillion only reinforces the troublemaker narrative and the unfair power dynamic currently in place in the sport.

Diamonds under the microscope

There has been a lot of critique about Cara Koenen’s unwillingness to attempt two-point super shots over the past two seasons. Koenen herself admitted last week that if she doesn’t start putting them up, she’ll become redundant.

In the warm-ups you can often see Koenen can shoot comfortably from that distance but there is a hesitance and uncertainty from her in live play.

All of this extra pressure seems to have put Koenen off her game and when you compound that with her struggles against Sterling-Humphrey on Sunday, it’s clear she’s not in the best form.

To take the heat off the shooter and take a broader look at the team, there’s something to be said about the form of their other Diamonds players.

Both defender Bruce and mid-courter Liz Watson left the Super Netball clubs they’d been at for almost a decade to join the Lightning in 2024 under coach Belinda Reynolds.

Neither of them has done groundbreaking things since the shift. In fact, it feels like their game has actually regressed.

Watson may still be tallying 41 feeds but the Australian captain has had 12 turnovers across two games — more than any other Lightning player. There were footwork calls and a few occasions where Watson tried to feed the shooters and passed the ball straight to Sterling-Humphrey.

Bruce has battled injury. She almost got a full game in on Sunday (one gain), but her 21-year-old successor Ash Ervin was more impressive in goal keeper (five gains) and only awarded 28 minutes of playing time. Bruce was also the most penalised player on court (18).

Does Koenen need to lift her game? Absolutely. But why is the conversation around her form so strong at the moment in comparison to these other Diamonds?