‘We’re not living in the past’, says Simpson
FIREBIRDS captain Gabi Simpson says last year’s heartbreaking one-goal loss to the Sunshine Coast in the Super Netball elimination final has not been discussed in the build-up to tomorrow’s “Battle of the Bruce”.
Simpson says the defeat does not need to be raised because regaining the mantle as the best team in Queensland is part of what drives the Firebirds every day.
The Lightning have had the better of the Queensland derby in its two-year existence, with three victories and a draw in the five meetings between the proud clubs, with the Sunshine Coast going on to win the title in both 2017 and 2018.
The reigning champions will start the newly christened derby as favourites after the Lightning’s 25-goal demolition of West Coast Fever in the grand final rematch last Sunday, while the Firebirds are yet to notch a win this season.
The Firebirds have nine survivors from the squad that suffered the 57-56 loss at the hands of the Lightning in the sudden-death final at Boondall last year, and Simpson said the very presence of the overall rivalry was enough to stoke the fire within her team.
“It (the finals loss) actually hasn’t been spoken about at all. We’ve had two games from this season that we have drawn on that have been more relevant to this specific group,’’ she said.
“But the rivalry between us and the Lightning over the last two years has been huge. They have mostly been very close games and they’ve had the better results from those games.
“To be the top team in Queensland is a great driver. We want to win the whole thing but step one to winning the whole thing is being the best team in Queensland.’’