Netball Super League | Five things we learned from the 2024 NSL Grand Final

Credit: Flynn Duggan

The 2024 Netball Super League season drew to a close in spectacular fashion at the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham.

While one thing stayed the same with Loughborough Lightning keeping their hands on the trophy, many things felt different.

Severn Stars waved goodbye to the NSL with a first Finals Day appearance while London Pulse added bronze to their collection.

Manchester Thunder made it back to the Grand Final and all of this was witnessed by a bumper crowd, the size of which the NSL had never seen before.

Here are five things we learned at the 2024 Grand Final:

Lightning keep on striking
Loughborough Lightning beat Manchester Thunder convincingly to win back-to-back Netball Super League titles for the first time in their history and the first time in the league since 2018.

Their win is the third in their history, only behind Team Bath on five titles and this year’s runners-up Manchester Thunder on four.

Lifting their third trophy in four years 🏆

👏 Congratulations to champions @LboroLightning!#NSL2024 | #SeeUsNow pic.twitter.com/VDmLsGUAVD

— Netball Super League (@NetballSL) June 29, 2024

Their recent domination in the Netball Super League has also seen them be involved in six of the last seven finals, but the win today felt like a real coming of age for the franchise which will be continuing in the new-look Super League next year.

Vic Burgess was praised by her players as a brilliant head coach with a Midas touch, bringing the best out of them and ensuring they execute their game plan in the big moments.

This game management wins titles, something they demonstrated on Saturday.

Everyone loves an underdog
Gabby Marshall had previously mentioned Severn Stars could have their own ‘Leicester City moment’ if they were able to beat the netballing giants that were more familiar with Finals Day.

While they were not able to beat Manchester Thunder in their semi-final or get over the line against London Pulse in the bronze-medal match, their story has captured the imagination of all netball fans.

Just making the top four was more than many predicted at the start of the season but Marshall insists this was always the plan and the team knew they could do it.

A highest ever finish 💙 🧡#NSL2024 l @SevernStars pic.twitter.com/KA7TZrtazU

— Netball Super League (@NetballSL) June 29, 2024

From the first whistle, neutrals in the crowd were cheering for the underdogs, alongside Stars’ own fanbase who were delighted to see their team in a finals series for the first time.

Not only was this Stars’ first Finals Day, but it was also their last time playing as a team.

This made every moment even more passionate, with huge cheers and chants from the crowd for Stars throughout – whether
it be a Niamh Cooper intercept, a Sigi Burger shot or a Jo Trip turnover.

While they could not get over the line, the Stars fans will already feel like they had their moment by watching their team for a final time on Finals Day.

Pulse make more history
London Pulse have grown this season. After reaching their first finals series in 2022 and going home in fourth, they subsequently won silver last year and bronze this year.
With three years on the trot at Finals Day, they have gone from being an underdog team to a side that everyone wants to beat.
After a frantic first half that saw Severn Stars go into half-time with a five-goal lead, Sam Bird’s substitutions made all the difference.

The definition of making an impact 🔍

👏 Congratulations to @Kissimmee Player of the Match @HalimatShadia_x who was a game changer in the second half.#NSL2024 l #SeeUsNow pic.twitter.com/g2IQWCFyGx

— Netball Super League (@NetballSL) June 29, 2024

In bringing Halimat Adio on to play alongside Funmi Fadoju, the defensive duo showed their brilliance and why Pulse have been so hard to break down this season.

Not only have Fadoju and Adio built a partnership, but Pulse have a whole host of players who have grown alongside each other over the last few years.

They showed their maturity in the second half of the match, and their previous ‘big match experience’ helped them see out the game and show why they are a team at the top.

They have won silver and bronze, so only the gold remains for the London franchise now.

Record ticket sales
Four sets of fans, and many more neutrals cheered, chanted, danced and sang.

There was a party atmosphere as the 2024 NSL season drew to a close and the good vibes were matched by great netball

The players on court were clearly getting energy from the crowd, the lights and the music.

Do you #SeeUsNow?

This is how we do a netball event 🙌#NSL2024 l @RW__Arena https://t.co/9xs2eeqjjS pic.twitter.com/HS9vWQeOpA

— Netball Super League (@NetballSL) June 29, 2024

No longer could you hear the calls from the bench, instead the cheers from teammates on the sidelines were only adding to a cacophony of noise inside the Resorts World Arena.

If record ticket sales on Finals Day is a sign of things to come, fans should feel incredibly excited about the new chapter of the Netball Super League.

If ain’t broke, don’t fix it
Manchester Thunder made a change just nine minutes into the Grand Final with Paige Reed making way for Elmere van der Berg.

Karen Greig was blunt in her explanation saying her side needed to start winning ball to claw back Lightning’s advantage.

Changes kept coming throughout the match with Ella Bowen, Kerry Almond and Taylor McKevitt all coming on at various points as a way to disrupt a Loughborough side whose connections were fully firing.

This connection 🤝

🪡 Rhea Dixon with brilliant vision and feeding in to @marynubas2. #NSL2024 l #SeeUsNow pic.twitter.com/WKBKrznOK3

— Netball Super League (@NetballSL) June 29, 2024

And it is for that reason that Loughborough Lightning did not make a single change until the 55th minute with Ella Clark and Annabel Roddy getting the chance to soak up the Super League title win.

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