There’s been plenty of chatter around Super Netball this past week, as a former leader returned west to face her old club, New Zealand expressed its interest in entering teams beyond 2026 and the world’s best league took a different approach to player suspension.

Meanwhile, each of the captains were convinced 2024 would showcase the closest season of Super Netball yet, but in round two the matches were decided by a total margin of 40 goals.

The reliable Melbourne Vixens and reigning premiers Adelaide Thunderbirds saved the round on Saturday night with their entertaining one-goal thriller (54-53).

Earlier, the Queensland Firebirds (65-62) also put up a good fight against the Giants to secure their first win at home.

But on Sunday, both the West Coast Fever (81-56) and NSW Swifts (67-56) romped home in front of packed stadiums in major one-sided affairs.

If you missed it, don’t worry — we’ve got you covered with our Super Netball Round-Up.

Time to link up with New Zealand again?

There have been increasing reports of Australia and New Zealand talking about reviving the old trans-Tasman championship or, rather, adding three existing Kiwi teams to Super Netball.

We’re now into our eighth season since bidding farewell to the shared competition that featured five teams from each country, but neither is doing that well financially.

According to Radio NZ, Netball New Zealand has signed a broadcast deal with Sky Sport for next year that is only worth half the current $8 million agreement.

This could see players face dramatic pay cuts for 2025 if their competition cannot find further investment.

Netball Australia’s financial debt accumulated during the pandemic has been well documented, as has its revoked $18 million in federal government funding, the fact none of the Super Netball teams turn a profit, and the concerning report conducted by David Gallop’s consulting company forecasting a $7.5 million loss for the league by 2026.

During the eight-year existence of the trans-Tasman championship, netball certainly wasn’t rolling in riches, but it was stable.

The Diamonds and Silver Ferns also dominated on the international stage, occupying every World Cup and Commonwealth Games final over that 2008-2016 period.

Still, even though it’s been rocky, the Super Netball era has forced the sport to grow up.

In 2017, the move to an all-Australian competition helped secure this country’s first TV deal that freed netball of the responsibility to front the costs of broadcasting matches.

In 2022, it then leveraged that to secure an even better agreement that actually guaranteed capital injection ($7 million per year) for the sport to invest in player wages.

Netball Tasmania, Netball ACT and the Gold Coast Titans have all expressed interest in joining Super Netball when the current five-year deal with Fox Sports lapses.

So, would it be better for each nation to stay separate, flounder a little, and challenge themselves to find new ways to push the game forward? Or is it for the greater good that they link up again?

There are many factors that need to be taken into account and we’ll get to those another day.

For now, Silver Ferns midcourter and Giants training partner Gina Crampton is a fan of the latter plan, hoping it will get New Zealand back on the podium after it failed to medal at the last World Cup.

“Going back to that model would be good for all the players in New Zealand, I think.

“If we want to stay competing with Australia, Jamaica and England, it would be a good step forward for us.”

Confusion over suspensions

Netball’s rule book received a thorough update this year, and one of the changes involved how umpires dealt with infringements and dangerous play.

Previously, players could be given a caution for breaking the rules, before repeated behaviour of the same nature was upgraded to a warning, then a two-minute suspension, then a complete send-off.

Now, cautions have been removed completely and umpires have instead been encouraged to give feedback to help players understand how and why they need to adjust.

An umpire’s ruling around dangerous play has also been emphasised. It must be escalated to a suspension or send-off based on the extent of the incident as well as intent.

Any contact to the head or neck is now graded in that dangerous category, as is a late hit that could cause injury to another player.

The crackdown has seen an unprecedented increase in player suspensions in the other top-flight leagues but not here in Australia.

Whether Super Netball seems to be on a different page to the rest of the umpiring cohort is something that will be discussed at this week’s World Netball’s Rules Advisory Panel meeting of international umpires, many of which officiate in the league.

Australian Michelle Phippard is a member of that panel and has been comparing notes with her counterparts both across the ditch and in England.

So far, there have been five suspensions in as many games to start the New Zealand Premiership, three in 49 games for the UK Super League, and zero in Super Netball.

“Any contact with the head and the neck has been a focus as we’re trying to achieve a change in thinking, but dangerous play also counts those actions that are unnecessarily forceful, careless or reckless and perhaps just poorly timed, resulting in heavy contact,” Phippard said.

“The majority of the suspensions in New Zealand were the correct interpretation, where they often conferred with each other before making the decision, using that extra pair of eyes to verify what they saw and that the dangerous play warranted one.

“I think there were a couple of incidents on the weekend in Super Netball that probably fell in that same category, while in the UK we had one given that in all honesty wasn’t dangerous play.

“We don’t want to create a situation where people are jumping at shadows every time there is a tough contest, but the new rules have been crafted to emphasise player safety.”

Three moments from round two spring to mind as ones that likely should have warranted suspensions: Emily Mannix colliding with Hannah Petty outside the circle that caused Petty’s head to rock back, Courtney Bruce’s elbow into Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard’s nose under the post, and Maddy Proud’s late hit on Amy Parmenter while contesting ball in the midcourt.

The league reviewed Mannix and Petty’s collision, in particular, and reported that it was comfortable with the umpire’s call to treat it as a standard contact, believing there was no head impact and adding that both doctors at the game had no concerns regarding concussion.

However, Mannix’s hand did cause Petty’s arm to collide with her head and both of these players have a history of concussion.

Had Mannix been suspended for two minutes with just three and a half minutes left in the game, it would have had a huge impact on the tight result.

But in other leagues similar instances have resulted in suspension, so why the difference?

“It’s important for us as a world body to know if there are going to be modifications to the rule in different leagues because that means there is clarification for apparent discrepancies.

“We’re not trying to take the excitement or physical play out of the game but we are trying to set parameters that keep people safe, and everyone agreed to these rule changes at the world congress in South Africa, so if there is a lack of consistency that needs to be addressed.”

Is the league as close as we think?

Leading into this season, each of the Super Netball captains found it hard to predict a winner, citing the league’s closeness this year.

But in round two, there was a total margin of 40 goals between the winners and their opposition, with both of the heavier defeats falling on Sunday.

Not one captain predicted the West Coast Fever would be their biggest obstacle to win the trophy, and yet in their opening matches the team in green knocked off old rivals the Giants (19 goals) and favourites the Sunshine Coast Lightning (25 goals) with emphatic victories.

Most fans had their eyes locked on the direct match-up between former teammates Fowler-Nembhard and Bruce, as the Diamonds keeper played her first game in Perth since switching sides.

Bruce was full of nervous energy and kept quiet for her standards (four gains) amid a raging Fever attack that could not be stopped, with the team winning every quarter on its way to a whopping 81-goal total.

It was the crafty work of midcourters Kelsey Browne and Alice Teague-Neeld, coupled with new goal attack Shanice Beckford, that helped Fowler-Nembhard shine. Beckford ran rings around all three Lightning goal defenders she faced.

While on Sunday, Aryang was a stand-out at the back (seven gains).

In Sydney, the NSW Swifts gave a good old-fashioned welcome to the Melbourne Mavericks in a bruising encounter.

It wasn’t the most penalised game of the round (132 penalties). In fact, that went to the one and only nail-biting contest in round two — between the Vixens and Thunderbirds on Saturday night (136 penalties) – but many have argued the Mavs were whistled out of the game.

Nonetheless, the new team has a huge uphill battle ahead of it in its inaugural season to find some form and share the load so Eleanor Cardwell has less on her shoulders.

Would it be smart to bring holding shooter Shimona Jok into the line-up and add some experience to the circle, we wonder?

Then there are the Giants whose form slump is hard to understand given their promising hit-outs in the pre-season.

Their side lacks cohesion and leadership at the back, but better squad rotation could potentially help them find their way.

It’s only early days, but as it stands, the Fever and Vixens are emerging as real frontrunners.

Let’s hope for some tighter matches across the board in round three.