Waiting in the wings

Firebirds ‘so ready’ for redemption

FOR 11 months, the perennial purple powerhouse of world netball has been forced to cool its jets.

But the long wait to make amends will finally be over for the Queensland Firebirds when the Suncorp Super Netball season begins this weekend.

The Firebirds played their final match of the 2017 season way back on May 27 last year.

They then had to endure the foreign role of being finals spectators with Queensland rivals the Sunshine Coast Lightning going on to win the inaugural Super Netball crown.

The Firebirds will begin their 2018 quest against traditional rival NSW Swifts on Sunday at Qudos Bank Arena at Homebush as part of a double-header that includes the grand final rematch between the Lightning and the GWS Giants.

Queensland welcomed back former captain Laura Geitz to the squad during the extra-long off-season to accommodate the Commonwealth Games and will also have the services of highly rated centre Mahalia Cassidy, who missed 2017 with a knee reconstruction.

Firebirds coach Roselee Jencke spoke for every coach, player, administrator and fan when she said the season cannot get under way soon enough.

“It just needs to start. We are sick of training and we just want to play some games,’’ Jencke said.

“It’s been a long pre-season and we’ve gradually built up during the practice games and finished them on a really positive note. I’m really happy with the team. I couldn’t be happier with what I saw at training (last week after the Commonwealth Games).

“The ball work was executed really well and there was a lot of energy.

“All in all, I’m happy with where we are at and we are ready to go.’’

Jencke, an assistant coach with the Diamonds at the Commonwealth Games, said the tournament ran some players into good form.