Michelle Magee insists there's no panic for winless Leeds Rhinos in Vitality Superleague

But that is far from the case as the third-year Vitality Superleague club attempts to slowly rebuild their season.

Northern Ireland international Michelle Magee has been with the Rhinos from the very start of their journey over two years ago, and although many players and coaches have come and gone in that time and they have never propped up the rest of the league as they do now, calm heads continue to prevail in the Rhinos camp.

“There’s no panic among the group, I’ve not felt any at all,” insists the 23-year-old following a performance at Leeds Beckett University on Sunday in which they competed well with champions Manchester Thunder.

“It’s been a tough first five rounds. It’s been a mixture of under-performing against some of the teams and then some really good performances against top sides - probably things you’d kind of expect from a new group. There’s stuff we’re not happy with, some bits we are happy with so we’re just trying to get better each week.

“But the feeling amongst the group is we are getting better.”

What stirs the belief in Magee is the attitude of the players.

There has certainly been enough sent to try them.

Liana Leota, the former New Zealand international, was an exciting director of netball appointment for their third season among the netball elite, but her time leading the team has been disrupted because she had to return home on compassionate grounds over the course of the opening weekend.

Then one of their marquee close-season signings Elmere van der Berg, a South African international shooter, was first late in joining up with the team and then saw her contract cancelled by mutual consent because of injury.

“There’s a nice vibe among the group,” says Magee. “Everyone is sticking together which is really commendable considering we didn’t know each other back in September.

“But we all have absolute faith in our group that we will get the results.

“We’re all willing to work it out. Every week in training we’re 100 per cent committed to getting better, trying to tweak the parts of the game that aren’t working for us.

“The attitude of the group, how we have come together in difficult times, means it’s a great environment to be a part of even if results aren’t going our way just yet.”

On the loss of van der Berg, Magee added: “It was disappointing. I saw her playing in the Commonwealth Games, she’s incredible, such a good player, but we’re lucky in our group that there’s a wealth of talent and experience and young, exciting players.”

Now working under a third head coach in her time with Rhinos, Magee - who also played gaelic football - believes the culture Leota is fostering is helping ensure no one is feeling down in the dumps at not having tasted victory.

“Liana has been brilliant, she’s a great coach, she’s got great knowledge about the game and a great way of delivering it,” says Magee. “The culture she is developing is really strong.

“With her Kiwi background and what they’re big on, she’s really brought that into Rhinos, and it’s been interesting when things have got tough she takes us back to the values that are important to us, the things we pride ourselves in have definitely got us through.

“If we keep doing what we’re doing the only way is up.”