Claws welcome the Far North Flames, North Queensland United and the Mackay Monarchs to Central Queensland University in Rockhampton for the opening round of this year’s competition on Saturday and Sunday.
Bringing her squad together for the competition has been far from plain sailing for Young with many of her players training separately in their home regions and joining the group infrequently during their pre-season.
The preparations of training partner Annie Lawrie highlight the challenges many of Young’s players face getting ready for this weekend’s opening round.
Lawrie, a former Queensland Firebirds Futures player who debuted at Suncorp Super Netball level with the Sunshine Coast Lightning in 2020, is currently working on a remote cattle station and trains only infrequently with the squad but her top-level experience is having an impact according to Young.
“There's been a noticeable improvement in performance standards and input from athletes since she has been involved,” Young said.
“She leads through example, and our squad is so keen to take on board what she does and says.
“We've been lucky that Annie has had her uni prac in Yeppoon over the last month so she has been able to join in a few sessions.
“Normally, we are getting updates from her sessions on the property where she is sharing the gym time with brown snakes.”
And while Young admits some of her team’s newer combinations will be tested in this weekend’s matches, she also has a secret weapon in the influence of captain Courtney Napper.
The experienced midcourter was an obvious selection for Young as her team’s leader with an impact that will be felt far beyond the court.
“She is the ultimate leader for our inexperienced athletes, who hang off her every word - there is no way they would want to let Courtney down,” Young said.
“She's the confidant and hype girl for our athletes. She is all about the whole team and making sure everyone feels valued in their role.”
The Claws face North Queensland United and Mackay Monarchs on Saturday before completing their opening round against the Far North Flames on Sunday.
Young said the value of the Ruby North competition – launched by Netball Queensland to provide a platform for regional athletes to showcase their skills on a competitive stage while fostering growth and development within the sport – couldn’t be understated.
“It's been a long time coming to have an open performance team in the region again,” Young said.
“Programs and quality offerings for juniors have suffered throughout the region without having something to work towards for them.
“We are seeing a higher buy-in and interest with juniors and senior players stepping up their performance standards already. They can see what they have to work towards and set realistic goals.
“The first round will be all about learning and adapting for Claws. With no lead up games for us and all the teams being new, it is not clear where we all fit in against the other teams.
“We have made some presumptions about the style of games each team will produce, we will find out this weekend how close to those ideas we are.”
The opening round of the Ruby North begins on Saturday at Central Queensland University, Rockhampton. A full list of fixtures is available here.
Don’t miss out on a minute of the action. Every match from this weekend’s round will be streamed LIVE AND FREE on netballqtv.com.au.
