Manchester Thunder coach Karen Greig admits she is eyeing “retribution” when they face champions Loughborough Lightning in their Netball Super League opener at the AO Arena on Sunday.
Greig’s side won 17 out of their 18 league games last year, finishing six points clear of second-place Loughborough.
But Lightning beat them 70-54 in the Grand Final to clinch the league title - and Greig has revenge in her sights.
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She said: “You look at it and think it’s retribution. You would like to go into it confidently. We have a squad that can go out there and pull out a good result against them.
“Hopefully, we have got enough in the tank to face Loughborough and get that retribution and stamp our authority on the direction we want to take the league this year.”
It is the seventh Netball Manchester Live at the AO Arena - moved from their regular home, the Belle Vue Sports Village - and last season almost 4,500 fans saw the Thunder beat London Pulse 44-40.
Greig, whose team will also play at the M&S Arena in Liverpool for the first time, said: “We love the AO Arena. It’s like our second home, going out to the arena and playing in front of what we always say are the best fans in the league, the loudest.
“Over the last few years, we have managed to get about 4,500 people through the doors of the arena.
“If we can get between 4,000 and 5,000 into that first game again, that will be a success.
“I would always say to people, buy your tickets and come along because until you have seen netball in full flight at that level, you don’t know what it is.
“And it’s exciting. It’s fast. Those players work hard. They are athletic. It’s a physical game and an exciting game.
“So if we can get bums on seats in that first game, I think it stands us in good stead.”
Manchester Thunder last won the Grand Final in 2022 and Greig is confident of reclaiming their crown this new campaign.
Unlike last year, they were victorious against Loughborough Lightning three years ago, winning 60-53 at the Copper Box Arena, London.
She added: “I am quietly confident that we can get there. If you had asked me that question back in September or October when we had a full squad of 10 that we signed, I’d say I was fairly confident.
“We have had some injuries in pre-season and a pregnancy too, so we have lost three out of our ten players, which is a chunk.
“But this year will be a different journey for us. We’re going to have a tough start to the season.
“We know we’ve got players down that we are hoping to get back in towards the end of the season.
“It is not going to be straightforward. It’s going to be tough. We will have to overcome some obstacles at the start of the season.
“But if we can get into that top four come the business end of the season, then we all know in sport, top four, semi-finals, finals, anything can happen. And we need to be up there and punch our weight.”
