Nottingham Forest represent must-win game for Leeds Rhinos as netball's super shot strategies evolve
Leeds Rhinos are finding that a flexibility in approach to the new ‘super shot’ rule rather than a dependence on it, is serving them well as the Super League season evolves.
To mark the dawn of Netball 2.0, the English game’s move towards professionalising the sport, there were a number of rule changes to liven the game up, none more controversial than the introduction of a two-point line to score from in the final seven minutes of each quarter.
It has forced teams to adapt and learn on the feet in the 2025 season, with Leeds’s rookie head coach Lauren Palmer discovering that a week-to-week approach is more beneficial to her team than a rigid one.
Last week’s win at Celtic Dragons and the home game with Nottingham Forest tonight at Sheffield’s Canon Medical Arena are a case in point.
Cardiff had more success with the super-shot than Rhinos did last Saturday, but Palmer’s team did not panic is they ended a four-game losing streak.
“Our plan was to outscore them in normal netball, if that’s a phrase, because we knew they had the super shot threat,” she said.
“We won three quarters and drew one, and although they scored most of their points in super shot, we had control of it in the first bit of each quarter. That was the plan and the girls stuck to it.
“For us it’s going to be very team dependent. Last week we didn’t feel we needed that super shot, we approached it by trying to score the more traditional way.
“But this week we know that we’re going to have to go big and match that. It’s very week to week, and team dependent.
“Our shooters can nail those super shots, we know that and we back them to do it.”
Tonight’s game offers a barometer of Leeds’ aspirations of breaking into the top four with Forest alongside them on a 2-4 (win-loss) record outside those play-off positions.
It also brings a reunion with two former Rhinos players in Brie Grierson and Rhea Dixon.
“Although it is a new squad, a lot of the girls have played together at different franchises like Brie and Rhea have played together wherever they’ve been,” said Palmer.
“We know it’s going to be a tough battle, but we’ve identified key areas we want to shut down and take those little wins.
“We know Nottingham have got an exceptional super shot threat in Rolene (Streutker), she’s one of the most accurate shooters in the league, so for us we have to do a lot of work to stop her.
“We’re coming in off a win, they’re coming into it off a tough loss last weekend, but we know if we want to be pushing for that top four it’s a must-win game and we know they’ll be thinking exactly the same.”