The Sutherland Stingrays may not have claimed an Origin Energy Premier League title since taking out the inaugural Opens crown in 2016, but 2022 comes with fresh opportunity.
Of course, to win you need some of the best mentors in the game, and it’s fair to say the side from the Shire has them in former NSW Coach of the Year Maria Lynch (Opens) and ex-NSW Swifts captain Abbey McCulloch (Under 23s).
The COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to the development of every franchise, but in Sutherland they’ve been taking a glass-half-full approach.
“Our Opens team for season 2022 has an exciting vibe happening,” Lynch says.
“We have retained a strong core of experienced players and have added some fresh talent into the mix. We have promoted Charlotte Smith and Ashley Vasquez from our U23s program.
“Both girls experienced some court time in Opens last season and demonstrated the skills and netball smarts to step up to the Opens environment. We can’t wait to see them shine as they get the opportunity to put their pre-season gains into action.
“We also welcome Tahisha Hunt back to her Sutherland home after developing her skills playing Premier League in both competition divisions at other franchises.
“We are also thrilled to have the experience and leadership of Laura Towell and Lili Gorman-Brown in our team. Both girls are part of the Suncorp Super Netball environment as Swifts Training Partners and bring a high-performance mindset and quality to our group.”
Towell was a pillar for the Swifts at the pre-season Team Girls Cup in Melbourne, while Gorman-Brown made her SSN debut for the Swifts in their thrilling encounter with the Melbourne Vixens last Saturday.
While it was testament to the QBE Swifts Academy – where McCulloch also coaches – it was a brilliant endorsement of the work being done at the Stingrays too.
“From my point of view the better the girls become individually the better we will be as a team,” McCulloch says of her Stingrays U23s.
“They all have their own individual goals that they are working towards and I believe we have created an environment at the Stingrays that fosters their individual development.”
The Sutherland Shire is a proud netball community, one that’s steeped in a history that’s produced some of the game’s greats, and that isn’t lost on the Stingrays.
“Sutherland Stingrays have spent time looking at and reflecting on our history,” Lynch adds.
“We are ready to go deeper and with our fresh-look team - one full of vitality, talent and drive - shake up the competition.”
It won’t be easy. The even spread of titles across the various foundation franchises in both divisions has shown how competitive the Premier League’s been since it started in 2016.
That means it’s particularly hard to call out any other side as title favourites.
“Oh, to have a crystal ball…,” Lynch says.
“With so many experienced players and exciting young guns across the franchises - mixed with the brilliant brains trust in the coaching departments - season 2022 could be a fire cracker!
“Each week will bring a new challenge. It’s all about managing what gets thrown at you. Consistency is a key factor and the teams that can put out consistent lines and maintain their composure will perform successfully.
“There will be no second chances against some of our opposition - so trying to get it right will be intense - but hey, we are really just looking at playing out a full season and the fun that comes with that.”
McCulloch, who played two Grand Finals with the Swifts before captaining the seven-time Premiers from 2017 to 2018, also acknowledged the mental challenges.
“Our biggest competition will be ourselves and whether or not we can start well, be consistent and play with a maturity that’s not often seen at the U23s level.”
The Rays are ready to sting, it’s game on!
Find out more about Sutherland Stingrays teams by visiting their Team Bios page on the Origin Energy Premier League website: https://www.nnswpremierleague.com.au/playerbios/sutherland-stingrays-team-bios/
