‘Don’t like it’: Outcry over netball super shot
THERE were 114 super shots taken in the opening round of the new Super Netball season as the controversial rule continued to divide opinions.
Tactical use of the new twopoint shot was a talking point going into the four matches, which were all hastily relocated to Queensland due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The super shot can only be used in the final five minutes of each quarter, and the Melbourne Vixens romped to a big first-round win, taking a weekend-high 20 of the two-point shots against the Magpies but only landing half of them.
But it was the Queensland Firebirds who really felt the pinch of the extra-point goals, as the Sunshine Coast Lightning poured in 11 of 13 from downtown to take bragging rights in the local derby.
“Ultimately what hurt us was the super shot and the impact that a run of two-point goals against you can have from a momentum perspective,” Firebirds head coach Roselee Jencke said.
Lightning shooter Steph Wood used the super shot to drag her team back from a deficit, nailing five straight to illustrate the power of the extra point.
Giants captain Jo Harten also took advantage, nailing nine of 13 shots.
But she still wasn’t convinced the rule, brought in without player consultation by the Super Netball administration, was good for the game.
“I don’t like the rule change personally, but we play what it is,” she said.
There was an average of 28.5 super shots in each match, with a high of 34 in the clash between the Swifts and Giants.
The Magpies offered up just nine super goal attempts, making six, giving them 18 of their 52 goals.
Upheaval before Round 1 caused a last-minute fixture reshuffle, with both NSW teams having to move to Queensland. The changes have also impacted Round 2, with the fixtures to be released on Tuesday, two days after the Victorian teams were released from quarantine.