Adelaide skipper identifies replacement for Nicholson
THE Lightning’s loss is the Townsville Fire’s gain, but Adelaide skipper Stephanie Talbot believes they have the young guns to replace an Opals star.
Lauren Nicholson has signed on with the orange and black to add a profound dynamic to a North Queensland side in need of her powerhouse status.
The Townsville recruit was defensive player of the year in
Adelaide last year, and her absence was always going to leave a hole in the Lightning’s line up.
But Talbot has her eyes locked in on an up-and-coming talent to fill those shoes.
“Obviously she (Nicholson) is an amazing defender, she was defensive player of the year two seasons ago, she was our defender of the year last year and is an amazing scorer,” Talbot said.
“But I think we have some talent coming in that can definitely fill her role. I’m really excited to see how Abbey Wehrung goes, she came over from Bendigo and I guess had a bit of a down season for her.
“She’s really looking to make strides this year.”
An opening fixture against Canberra Capitals, the reigning WNBL champions, presents a daunting task out of the gates for Adelaide in Mackay.
They may even have to contend with the crowd. Australian centre Marianna Tolo hails from the Sugar City, and is set to have plenty of support, while coach Paul Gorris and forward Keely Froling are both Townsville raised.
However Talbot believes it will be the style of play that captures the attention of fans.
A young, fast and skilful roster will call North Queensland home for the next six weeks, and the captain believes even in such a condensed season, they have the squad to employ that style of play.
She said first up wins would be crucial given the lack of chances to train, therefore the upbeat brand of play could be what gets them out of the blocks early.
“I think it’s different player to player, I’m someone who likes to train a little bit. I like to keep my skills up, but I definitely see the positive of just moving on to the next game and forgetting about the one before,” Talbot said.