Simone Nalatu’s side needed to secure last Sunday’s win to have any chance of progressing beyond the regular rounds, as they continue to battle against the Carina Leagues Club Tigers for the crucial fourth spot on the ladder.
“It’s like our final every single week at the moment,” Nalatu said.
“If we go down, we’ll go down fighting. That’s been our philosophy.”
A minute’s silence was held before the start of the Thunder-Jets game to honour June Bothwell AM, a Netball Queensland Legacy Life Member and past President, with all players wearing black armbands to mark her recent passing.
The last time these two sides met the Jets managed a 13-goal victory and rightly entered this rematch as favourites.
“We talked about it being a must-win,” Nalatu said.
“We framed it like it’s not going to scare us and, if we do lose, the other team has to play to their best to beat us. So we have been using it as motivation.”
The Thunder held a half-time lead (22-21), and went into the fourth quarter with a three-goal advantage.
“We finish really strong,” Nalatu said of previous performances.
“But we often give teams too much of a headstart to claw back. We could’ve pushed more out earlier against the Jets but to their credit, they fought back.”
The Jets were missing gun goal shooter Elsa Sandholt, while the Thunder were without wing defence Baylee Boyd, with both players committed to 19/U Australian pathway squad duties.
Aiming for their first HART Sapphire Series premiership, the Thunder must still win their last regular round game of the season on Sunday night against the Gold Coast Titans at Nissan Arena to ensure they claim that critical fourth position and a semi-finals slot.
“There’s no reason why we can’t take it,” Nalatu said.
“The focus is on what we need to do. We have the opportunity to control our own destiny by putting out a good performance and letting the rest take care of itself.”
The Tigers, meantime, will be hoping to inflict further pain onto the Jets when they travel to Ipswich for Sunday’s earlier 3pm game.
Should the Tigers trigger another upset over the Jets, and the Thunder also record a boilover against the Titans, their fight for fourth place will come down to percentages as both have accrued 20 points on the ladder.
The HART Sapphire Series’ top three positions are already secure, with the Jets and Titans dominating the majority of the season to each sit on 36 points, followed by the ACU Brisbane North Cougars on 28 points.
For the HART Sapphire Series fixture, results and ladder, please click here.
