WPL: Merewether coach seeks improvement
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Merewether coach Cassie Koppen said United needed “to pick up our game” when they host Mid North Coast in round 13 of Herald Women’s Premier League on Sunday.
United play Mid North Coast after their first loss of the season, a 1-0 defeat at the hands of defending champions Warners Bay last round.
But a win at Myamblah Oval on Sunday would elevate Merewether back on level terms with league leaders Warners Bay, who have the bye this weekend.
“We’re a top-two team and everyone wants to beat you, so we have to pick things up a bit,” Koppen said.
“In the past two and a half years we’ve developed that winning mentality and have changed everyone’s perception of Merewether, now we’re expected to win and that’s something we’ve got to deal with.
“We need to learn how to adjust and to control our emotions on field if things aren’t going our way and that’s something we’ll be working on through the back half of this season.”
Koppen was expecting a desperate Mid North Coast, who will be keen to consolidate fourth place with a win.
Meanwhile, Adamstown will be determined to mark captain Clare Cummings’ 100th WPL appearance for the club with a win when they play Thornton at Adamstown Oval on Sunday.
Rosebud will get an added boost for the occasion with proven strike weapon Lauren Allan set to take the field after returning last month from the United States, where she is studying and playing college football.
Allan scored 25 goals for Adamstown in 16 appearances in 2015 then six goals during an eight-game stint last season.
South Wallsend and Wallsend face off at Walker Fields in a match expected to have plenty of feeling.
Both sides will be at full strength for the first time in a number of weeks and both need to win to stay in the mix for a top-four finish to the season.
Basketball: Suzy’s last outing for Hunters
Triple Olympic medallist Suzy Batkovic will make her Broadmeadow swansong for Newcastle Hunters when the defending Waratah Basketball League women’s champions host Hills Hornets at 5pm on Saturday.
The five-time Women’s National Basketball League Most Valuable Player will miss Newcastle’s final home game of the regular season against Sydney on July 1 because of a prior engagement, so the showdown with Hills will be the last chance for Hunters supporters to see her at Broadmeadow.
“It’s disappointing we don’t have more home games but that’s just the way the schedule has worked out, unfortunately, so this is my last home game and I’m looking forward to it,” Batkovic said.
“We’ve been struggling with our ends of games a little bit but this is a young team and we’re making progress each week, so we need to keep making progress over these next seven games.”
The Hunters are seventh with a 3-6 win-loss record after their 88-78 loss to unbeaten leaders Hornsby Spiders at The Brickpit last Saturday, leaving themselves precious little wriggle room as they walk the play-off tightrope in the next two months.
Hills (1-7) are eighth and the Hunters are hoping for a morale-boosting win after dropping four of their past five. Despite recent results, coach Mark Gledson is confident they can build momentum in the last two months of the regular season and qualify for the finals in August.
“That is still our goal, to finish in the top four,” Gledson said.
“We have trained better this week than last week and I expect us to be more aggressive against Hills than we were last week against Hornsby.”
AFL: Big guns set to keep powering
Unbeaten leaders Newcastle City host fourth-placed Killarney Vale in what is expected to be the tightest match in women’s Black Diamond AFL on Saturday.
A win for Killarney Vale would put them on level terms with City as the competition heads towards the midway point.
They meet at No.1 Sportsground at 3pm.
At 9am at the same venue, winless Newcastle Novas host third-placed Gosford.
Unbeaten defending champions Nelson Bay play seventh-placed Maitland at Max McMahon Oval, Lake Macquarie host Singleton, Cardiff are at home to Wyong Lakes and Warners Bay travel to take on Muswellbrook.
Netball: Souths-West showdown
Three-time defending champions Souths Lions get a chance at redemption when they play untouched West Leagues Balance in Greater Open Championship on Saturday.
West downed a shell-shocked Souths 68-31 in the opening round of the season but the Lions were missing some key players that day and have not lost a game since.
The match-up is at 2.30pm and should prove great viewing.
Souths Pride take on Maryville Tavern, Forsythes Business Advisors play Nova Thunder and BNC Whanau battle Junction Stella.
Leaguetag: Central face test in Lions
Newcastle Rugby League ladies leaguetag leaders Central will have a battle on their hands when they take on Souths in a top-of-the-table clash at St John Oval on Sunday.
Central lead with 10 points, one ahead of Souths.
Both teams are the only sides to remain undefeated as the competition enters round seven.
Third-placed Wests host sixth-placed Maitland in the other match on Sunday.
On Saturday, Lakes United play Cessnock and Kurri Kurri take on Macquarie.
Rugby: Greens eye another win
Merewether will look to back up their 92-point win over an under-strength Maitland side when they host Wanderers at Townson Oval in Hunter Women’s Rugby Union on Saturday.
The Blacks host University in the other match.