Fierce rivalry looms in top-of-table meeting

PHOENIX Fierce co-captain Tarin Moke is looking forward to getting a second crack at Sharks when the Cairns Netball Association Senior Division 1 competition resumes on Wednesday night.

The defending premiers were too strong for the Fierce the last time the two teams met, but Moke is confident her side can reverse the result this time around, saying they had come a long way since the 49-37 loss in the first game of the season.

“Our team cohesion has been a lot better over the past few weeks, just getting to know each other, how everyone plays and what combinations do and don’t work,” she said.

Top spot on the ladder and an important psychological victory over their biggest title threat will be up for grabs on Wednesday night, with both teams likely to meet at the business end of the campaign.

Sharks are the only team to notch a win against the Fierce this season and remain undefeated through five rounds of their 2019 title defence.

“They know where each other is going to be and their defensive structures are really strong,” Moke said.

“It’s going to be a really tough game — it could go down to the last minute — but we’re just looking forward to having another good contest against them.

“If it doesn’t go our way, that’s fine, we’ll just keep working on ourselves and hopefully we’ll get them later.”

The Fierce’s Jade Kennedy will return from a knee injury for the clash, while Sharks’ 2019 premiership winner Salmui Whap-Farrah will line up against her old club for the first time.

“She’s definitely one of those young guns that can really make an impact on the game,” Moke said.