NSL Unwrapped: Thunder and Forest win big in Round 7
Loughborough Lightning beat Birmingham Panthers 72-68 whilst London Pulse downed LexisNexis Cardiff Dragons to make it seven wins from seven matches.
Forest take the spoils over Rhinos
Nottingham Forest moved within two points of the top four with a brilliant 74-60 win over NIC Leeds Rhinos in Round 7 of the Netball Super League.
Rhinos came out stronger and took the first quarter 19-12, with Cassie Howard's defensive play wreaking havoc on the travelling side.
But the hosts struggled to find consistency and soon fell away as their opposition closed the gap to just a two-point gap at the break.
Falling into a comfortable rhythm and supported by Rolene Streutker's shooting skills during the Soft & Gentle Super Shot and Tash Pavelin's interceptions, Forest took the lead for the first time in the third quarter and continued to soar.
Pavelin was eventually named Kissimmee Player of the Match with an impressive six gains, five interceptions and five deflections.
Thunder take second in the table
Manchester Thunder moved to second in the 2024 Netball Super League table with a 59-54 victory over London Mavericks.
Both teams were made to work hard defensively in the early stages, with Razia Quashie causing problems in the circle for the home side who held a level 13-10 lead after the first quarter.
Elmere van der Berg, second in the league for the Soft and Gentle Super Shot, continued dominating in the final stages of each quarter and extended Thunder's lead to 31-24 at the break.
Mavericks came out for the second half with a new spark and played a patient game to sneak up on their hosts and close the gap two just two shots with 15 minutes to go.
An all or nothing final quarter saw Thunder once again pull ahead again but it went down to the fire in a close match between the two sides, Thunder ultimately coming out on top.
Lightning edge a close battle with Panthers
Loughborough Lightning clinched a narrow 72-68 victory over Birmingham Panthers as East met West Midlands.
Both sides came into the match off the back of Round 6 wins and Panthers channelled that energy at the Sir David Wallace Arena, coming out all guns blazing but were quickly caught by their hosts as a back-and-forth battle ensued.
A high-scoring second quarter for both sides meant that there was just one shot in it at half-time, but the defending champions extended their lead after the break and expertly held their opposition off for the win.
Samantha Wallace-Joseph was awarded the Kissimmee Player of the Match after a brilliant performance saw her slot 34 goals and nine super shots, while Gabrielle Coffey shone in defence for the Birmingham side and Betsy Creak continued her impressive run in the shooting circle.
After taking their maiden Netball Super League win against Nottingham Forest in Round 6, Panthers are forced to wait for another victory as they continue to challenge the top teams.
Pulse push past Dragons
League leaders London Pulse kept alive their unbeaten streak to make it seven wins from seven matches after downing LexisNexis Cardiff Dragons 67-52.
The two teams entered the match at opposite ends of the table but Pulse were pushed all the way by Dragons in the opening quarter, only leading the bottom-placed side by four points after the opening quarter.
By half time, the lead had extended but only just as Pulse entered the interval 32-25 up as Jacqui Newton and Elle McDonald put defensive pressure on the hosts' attach.
The London-based side pulled away in the second half, led by Kissimmee Player of the Match Sophie Kelly after a superlative display saw her rain down seven Super Shots along with eight goals.
The result sees Pulse move to 21 points at the summit of the standings, while Dragons remain without a win but have a game in hand on most of the table.
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Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Telegraph
Bitter legal threats and personal feud fuelled Nottingham Forest move to keep Morgan Gibbs-White
Morgan Gibbs-White will wear the red jersey of Nottingham Forest this season and, for the club's owner Evangelos Marinakis, this moment feels like a pointed statement to the powerful 'Big Six'. Marinakis is determined to establish Forest as a force in European football and his success in persuading Gibbs-White to reject the riches of Tottenham Hotspur is another clear sign of progress. 'At the end of the day, we always win,' were Marinakis's words after an interview on Saturday night confirmed that Gibbs-White has signed a new three-year contract. Tottenham are preparing for Champions League football under their new head coach Thomas Frank, who was convinced that a deal was inevitable after triggering the £60m release clause. Yet the full details of the stormy mini-saga, which included bitter legal threats and acrimony between the owners of the two clubs, can be revealed here. Spurs bungled release-clause activation After Tottenham made their move on July 10, the fall-out was spectacular. Forest were convinced that Tottenham breached certain levels of confidentiality, and there are even doubts that they matched the exact terms of the release clause. Such clauses can be very complex, and it is understood that Tottenham fell short of activating a number of conditions. Forest sent an intention of legal action to Spurs owner Daniel Levy, while an official complaint to the Premier League was also under consideration. Just over two weeks later, Gibbs-White committing his future to Forest was not in the script. Marinakis flew into Portugal on Thursday with one intention – to resolve the future of his star player. Negotiations advanced quickly and on Saturday night, shortly before a friendly against Fulham, the England international had agreed to stay. There is no release clause. There is no gentleman's agreement to leave next summer. Gibbs-White will be the best-paid player in Forest's history, and Marinakis views this as a major triumph. Marinakis took Levy approach personally Tottenham have missed out. The message was relayed to Frank on Saturday night that the deal was off. Marinakis was simply not ready to accept losing this particular battle with Levy. He felt the nature of Levy's approach was a slur on Forest, and what he is trying to build. Gibbs-White is relishing the start of the new season, and the team spirit which has defined their evolution under Nuno Espirito Santo cannot be discounted. The 25-year-old has behaved impeccably as the saga unfolded. There has been no strike action, mysterious injuries or threats of transfer requests. He has reported for training as normal and while many will argue that should be a prerequisite, other Premier League players caught in a similar situations have not always responded in that way. Gibbs-White's partner, Britney, is also dealing with a private issue which has proved a difficult time for both. Yet Gibbs-White still flew out to join the squad on Wednesday night at their training camp near Faro. He returned home shortly after the friendly against Fulham with his future all tied up. Statement deal restores faith in future plan Marinakis has also left the Algarve, his job very much done. The Greek businessman was in no mood to accept the sale of another star, at least without a fight. Anthony Elanga's departure to Newcastle for £55m earlier this month had triggered fears among some supporters over what the season ahead may hold. Gibbs-White's potential exit so soon after was a nightmarish scenario. When news of Spurs' bid surfaced – and after Telegraph Sport revealed there was a £60m release clause – fans even questioned Marinakis over why the fee was so low. Forest felt they had no option. After achieving promotion in 2022, the club agreed to the clause after tempting Gibbs-White away from Wolves for an initial £25m. There was also strong interest from Everton and Brentford, Frank's old club. Since arriving at the City Ground, he has played a major part in Forest stabilising themselves in the Premier League. He is now an England international under Thomas Tuchel, and any suspicions that the new manager was unhappy with Gibbs-White playing for a team outside the elite have been ruled out here. Forest are now working on a number of other signings, with Bologna winger Dan Ndoye a primary target. The Switzerland international is keen to join Forest, but a deal must now be agreed with his club. Manchester City's James McAtee remains a target despite Gibbs-White's decision to stay.
Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Video of Morgan Gibbs-White transfer U-turn gets same response from ALL football fans
Tottenham were seemingly closing in on the signing of Morgan Gibbs-White earlier this month but the Nottingham Forest star has now signed a record contract to stay put Morgan Gibbs-White has officially committed his future to Nottingham Forest - just weeks after the attacking midfielder looked all but certain to join Tottenham. News broke earlier this month that Spurs had triggered a £60million release clause in the 25-year-old's contract. However, Forest were left angered by what they considered to be an illegal approach from their Premier League rivals for one of their most influential stars. Gibbs-White has since played for Forest in pre-season as all talk of finalising said move to Spurs went quiet. And the club have now confirmed that Gibbs-White has signed a club-record three-year deal, putting an end to speculation over the midfielder's future. A video showing Gibbs-White and Evangelos Marinakis, the club's owner, was posted online to announce the news. But some mischievous fans have quipped that the Forest star looked like a 'hostage' in said video. One social media user joked: "Nothing like a hostage video with your captor standing beside you so you don't cry for help! #FreeGibbsWhite". Another poster quipped: "Gibbs-White fake smiling with his owner after being held hostage at Forest just like Olise at Palace." A third football fan said cheekily: "A lot of interesting moments throughout this transfer window. Obviously United's chase of players, Liverpool splashing huge cash, Arsenal always in the news, the Isak situation & a lot more. But I didn't expect a Morgan Gibbs-White hostage video. Never a dull moment". Despite the jokes from fans, Gibbs-White said that he was 'excited' for what's next at Forest after the club qualified for Europe last season. Speaking to the club's official website, he said: "I've felt at home at Forest from the moment I arrived. The support from the fans, my teammates, and everyone around the club has been unbelievable. "I believe in what we're building here – and with the backing of Mr Marinakis and the enormous ambition he has, I want to be part of making something special. I'm excited for what's to come." Forest owner Marinakis, who posed with Gibbs-White in photos celebrating the new contract, said: "Morgan is a special player – not just in terms of talent, but character and mentality. He represents everything we want this football club to be: he is a winner, talented, ambitious, fearless, and proud. "There was significant interest from various clubs, but we were determined to build our future with Morgan at the heart of it. I promised our fans we would not only compete, but grow stronger and stronger every season. Today is another big step in that journey." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
BBC News
7 hours ago
- BBC News
'How quickly the tide can change' - fans on Gibbs-White
Following the news that Morgan Gibbs-White had signed a "record deal" with Nottingham Forest, we asked for your views on the 25-year-old committing to three more years at the City are some of your comments:Samuel: How quickly the tide can change in football. Really didn't expect this, and it's brilliant for the club. Could have really done with it not being played out in public but he's a young guy and you cannot blame him for what has happened. However, Mr. Marinakis has done wonders to keep him - especially when all those Tottenham fans thought they'd got him on the cheap! Ambition from Forest. Definitely finishing above them (again)!Andy: Could prove to be Forest's biggest 'signing' of the summer. Will calm a few nerves and show any potential targets we mean business and are a club continuing on an upward Expect the unexpected: this should be Forest's new mantra. Absolutely over the moon he's staying. Everything good that Forest do goes through him. Find an adequate replacement for Anthony Elanga and Forest are back on track for another exciting season!John: Great news but we all know the worth of football contracts! Ask Wolves when Matheus Cunha signed a new contract in January and now is a Manchester United player!Kerry: Always plays with his heart on his sleeve. No doubt more money for new contract - player and agent got want they The whole thing with Morgan Gibbs-White was a farce but, as a devoted Forest fan, I'm glad he's It's great to get the uncertainty out of the way. We would be in trouble if we lost both Elanga and Gibbs-White in the same window, so this is a great result. We do still need to bring some players in to give ourselves a chance of competing throughout the season, but it's great news MGW is Relief mostly. A big cog in the Forest machinery. Folks will say he has held the club to ransom. I don't care - Morgan is staying.
