Round 6 of the Netball Super League provided more defining moments across the competition, with dominant attacking performances, defensive masterclasses and a statement win at the top of the table. As the season now reaches its halfway point, attention quickly turns to Round 7, where local rivalries promise high intensity and crucial ladder implications.
The round six weekend concluded with Loughborough Lightning being the only unbeaten side, LexisNexis Dragons’ defence continuing to strengthen, London Pulse’s attacking unit gaining momentum and London Mavericks making it back-to-back wins.
Round Six Results:
Nottingham Forest 57-62 LexisNexis Dragons
LexisNexis Dragons secured their second victory of the season as their strong defensive resilience overcame Nottingham Forest in a five-goal win. Their backline, led by Leah Middelton and Jacqui Newton, disrupted Forest’s attacking flow throughout the contest, recording 15 deflections and 12 pickups. Whilst Forest remained competitive across all four quarters, with 98% shooting accuracy, Dragons’ ability to regain possession at key moments ultimately proved the difference in a tightly contested matchup.
London Pulse 78-45 Birmingham Panthers
London Pulse delivered one of their most dominant performances of the season so far, showcasing attacking efficiency and accuracy inside the circle, shooting at 98% accuracy, compared to Panthers’ 82%. Pulse’s shooters capitalised from range with 17 Amex Super Shots, with Sophie Kelly scoring 14, significantly outperforming Birmingham’s 4. The seamless movement through Pulse’s attacking end, which also saw the debut of Hannah Gibson, allowed them to build momentum early and maintain control throughout, underlining their status as one of the league’s most dangerous offensive sides.
Loughborough Lightning 68-58 AO Manchester Thunder
In the round’s headline clash between the league’s top two, Loughborough Lightning maintained their perfect record with a composed victory over AO Manchester Thunder. Lightning’s shooting accuracy stood at 98% compared to Thunder’s 85%, highlighting their clinical edge in front of goal, led by Samantha Wallace-Joseph, who sits at the top of the total goals with 234 this season, as she added another 26 goals in this game. Defensive pressure also played a key role, forcing 11 unforced errors from Thunder while committing just 8 themselves, with Player of the Match Shadine van der Merwe relishing in the opportunity to play against her old side with a standout defensive performance. This ten-goal victory keeps Lightning unbeaten and firmly positioned as the benchmark team of the season.
London Mavericks 54-44 Leeds Rhinos
London Mavericks claimed a hard-fought win built on defensive dominance in their first home victory of the season. Despite similar shooting accuracy, which saw 83% for Mavericks and 81% for Rhinos, the difference came through turnovers. Mavericks recorded an emphatic 11 interceptions to Rhinos’ 1, consistently breaking down attacking transitions and controlling the tempo of the game. Player of the Match, Izzi Phillips, was instrumental to the home side’s victory as she contributed 3 gains and 17 feeds to the shooting circle. The ten-goal victory strengthens Mavericks’ momentum heading into a crucial derby fixture.
What’s Next
Round 7 Fixtures:
Friday 10 April
- London Pulse vs London Mavericks: 19:00, Copper Box Arena
Saturday 11 April
- Cardiff Dragons vs Nottingham Forest: 16:00, House of Sport
- Manchester Thunder vs Leeds Rhinos: 17:00, Belle Vue Arena
- Birmingham Panthers vs Loughborough Lightning: 19:00, Motorpoint Arena
Spotlight Fixture: London Derby
London Pulse vs London Mavericks
The headline match of Round 7 sees London rivals meet at the Copper Box Arena in one of the defining games of the season so far.
Both sides enter the fixture in strong form following Round 6 victories, but achieved success through contrasting strengths. Pulse arrive with arguably the league’s most fluid attacking unit after their 78-goal performance, demonstrating exceptional shooting accuracy and confidence from the Amex Super Shot range, with Sophie Kelly sitting 4th in the league with 34 shots scored. Their defence unit also sits high in the league statistics with Funmi Fadoju contributing 14 gains, 48 deflections, 28 gains and 11 pickups.
London Mavericks, meanwhile, will rely on defensive disruption; their 11 interceptions against Rhinos highlight a side capable of disrupting the opposition’s rhythm and forcing errors. Their strong midcourt connections with Izzi Phillips- 11 deflections, 96 feeds and 5 intercepts- and Suzie Liverseidge- 194 feeds and 5 deflections- can be instrumental to servicing the Mavericks’ shooting circle.
With the league reaching its halfway stage, the result could significantly influence positioning heading into the second half of the campaign.
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