Lightning: We're Super Netball underdogs
The bookies made them favourites to beat the Giants but Sunshine Coast Lightning have appropriated the mantle of underdog and expect backing from other parts of Queensland for Saturday's Super Netball grand final in Brisbane.
Lightning won the right to host the final by defeating minor premiers Melbourne Vixens in the major semi-final but the season decider was moved to Brisbane because their local venue wasn't large enough.
The fierce desire to see Queensland beat NSW teams extends to netball, with even some members of the eliminated Brisbane-based Firebirds barracking for the Lightning this weekend.
"Definitely, I've been inundated from the netball community in Brisbane with messages," Lightning assistant coach Kylee Byrne said.
"Even people from the Gold Coast and those Firebirds fans and even past Firebirds players have all contacted me to see 'how do we get tickets, what can we do'?"
While they will enjoy the bulk of crowd support and have been installed as favourites by major betting organisations, Lightning are happy to foist that title on the Giants.
"I think they are now going in as favourites, I've heard a lot of people tipping them, so we're gladly going to take the underdog tag," Byrne said.
The two regular season clashes between the teams both resulted in a one-goal win for the away side.
Lightning's New Zealand midcourt ace Laura Langman anticipated the grand final would be an even more intense contest.
"The hits are harder, the game is going to be faster," Langman said.
Byrne said the Giants weren't put under any pressure in their preliminary final win over the Melbourne Vixens and she warned it would be a very different story on Saturday.
"Now they are going to come to us and we will put them under pressure," Byrne said.
Asked what advice she would give Lightning's grand final rookies, big match veteran Langman said "it's now time to trust your intuition and just enjoy the moment."
She said she was hugely impressed by the Giants' defence end last week.
