MATCH PREVIEW | Manchester Thunder vs Saracens Mavericks (NSL Rd 14)
Wing Attack Georgia Lees wants her side to respond against Manchester Thunder on Friday evening.
Defeat last weekend against Leeds Rhinos stunted Mavericks' recent momentum, but Lees believes that her side can rediscover their recent form against the 2022 champions.
"For us, it's all about how we bounce back. This week in training, we've really tried to shift our mindset and pick ourselves up. We've focused on the next game in hand and we know it isn't going to be easy. It's about reflecting on last time we played them and what learnings we can take. We've been working really hard in training to put out a more consistent performance."
Lees admitted that there was a lot of disappointed after the result against Rhinos, feeling that it was their work in attack that meant they finished on the wrong side of the scoreboard.
"We were disappointed with the Rhinos result. We were all gutted with the loss, but also the overall performance. Defensively, we were outstanding and won enough ball to put us in a position to win the game, but we made too many errors. It's frustrating, but we will continue to build."
Lees has relished the role of being Vice-Captain this season and expressed her hopes that she and her teammates can press on in the final five games of the season.
"Personally I've really enjoyed this season. I've had a lot of court time at Wing Attack and I've loved that. We've still got five games left and for me, it's all about continuing to work on the attacking structures and how we can build into the pockets of space around the court to keep those feeding opportunities high. It's been a hard run as a team, so as Vice-Captain, I want to look at how I can pick the team up and press on for these final few games."
It will be tough tomorrow evening against Manchester Thunder, but Lees believes that her side have learnt a lot from their last outing against the league leaders earlier in the season at Wembley Arena.
"Thunder are strong across the court and that's why they are top of the league. They're good on the ball in attack and they don't waste a lot of ball. Defensively, they've got an England Rose mid-court and circle defenders who will fly out for interceptions. For us, it's about focusing on areas where we can expose their weaknesses. We've already played them once this year and we found out a lot about what did and didn't work in that game. Those are all things we'll draw upon heading into Friday's match."
