Champs in ’no’ to licence

NETBALL THE Marlin Coast Marlins are poised to be crowned Queensland State Netball League Division 2 Country premiers this weekend but there will not be Cairns representation in the new Sapphire Series in 2019.

Netball Queensland will introduce the new semi-professional netball competition throughout the state next year to help bridge the gap between Suncorp Super Netball and the state league.

Netball Queensland entered an original agreement with clubs to play the current state league format for three seasons but will introduce the Sapphire Series after just two.

Cairns Netball Association considered bidding for a team in the new series but were priced out, with a team in the Sapphire Series set to cost double what the Marlins currently pay to play in 2018.

The Marlins are undefeated through 2018 and teams they have beaten comfortably from Townsville and Mackay have worked together on a joint-bid, excluding Cairns, for a licence in the series.

NQ General Manager of Performance and Competitions, Richard McInnes, would have liked Cairns to bid for a team.

“They have been the most successful franchise over the last couple of years and they do a good job of supporting the players and the teams up there,” McInnes said. “It would be great to have them on board but we understand that it is not always that easy.

“We encouraged them to look into having a team but that is Cairns netball’s decision and we do not challenge that.”

CNA president Susan Moore said it was a financial decision to not try to secure a team.

“The two years with the Marlins have been fantastic for us but the price is a struggle for us in terms of gaining the sponsorship,” Moore said.

“It is a lot more travelling and the girls having time off from work, if we were to try have a Sapphire Series team.”

The current Marlins will still exist and play against other regional teams.

McInnes said the door was open for Marlins players to play with the potential Townsville and Mackay club.

“We would like to see the current Steelcats, Sharks, Claws and Marlins feeding into the one Sapphire licence based in North Queensland somewhere, similar to how the Q-Cup teams feed into the Cowboys,” he said. “That is what we would like to see happen but we understand that may take a little while.”

The Marlin Coast Marlins will host the Whitsunday Sharks in the state league netball grand final this Saturday.