Super Netball 2025: West Coast Fever coach Dan Ryan says top-two finish ‘critical’ to premiership hopes

West Coast Fever coach Dan Ryan says it’s critically important that they finish in the top two as the powerhouse side look to claim a second Super Netball premiership. It comes as Ryan warned others must continue to step up around Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard in attack after the superstar shooter scored all but four goals in their 68-63 win over Adelaide Thunderbirds at RAC Arena on Friday night. Fever have one foot on the court for a major semifinal appearance after a fighting win over the dual reigning premiers — their ninth consecutive victory — with only three games left in the regular season. A double finals chance is vital for Fever who have the heaviest travel schedule of any Super Netball team, which has impacted them in consecutive one-goal preliminary finals defeats in the past two seasons on the back of third-place finishes. Fever finished second in 2022 on their way to a maiden premiership and coach Ryan knows the importance of consolidating their position in second. “It’s critical to be honest and it’s something we haven’t shied away from putting on the table and being really driven to do everything we can within our control to get to that point,” Ryan said. “We know a top two finish is far more advantageous for us than finishing third like we have in the past two years. “We’ve been really open with what we want to do, and we even spoke in pre-game today around we have earned the opportunity to put ourselves in a great position and consolidate a top two spot. Great teams will take that opportunity, or a lesser team will let that opportunity slip by. “What’s most pleasing about today is we can be well below our best at different parts throughout the game and the opposition is challenging all parts of us but when the game is there to be won, we step up and take it.” Fever had to come from three goals down early in the final term to beat a desperate Thunderbirds, who were trying to stay in touch with the top four. Fowler-Nembhard proved the difference, scoring a super goal on the verge of the final break to level the scores before sinking 17 goals from as many attempts in the last term. Ryan said they had done well not to be too reliant on the Jamaican superstar but needed to ensure they continued to have multiple threats as the pressure mounted in the back half of the season. “There were times where Jhaniele will take the two versus one and still be really dominant, but we know the importance of the goal attack having an impact on the scoreboard and having some super shot threats and the feeds coming off any which hand of the feeders out the front,” he said. “When we’re up and about and we’re humming, the unit itself is really pulling its weight and that’s a big step up for us. “We know Jhaniele will get targeted, she’s had two versus ones against her for the last seven or eight weeks and she still finds a way and it’s really important that those around her in key moments step up and take the load too. We’ve been doing that well but it’s something we just need to keep demanding from each other in the back half of the season.”

Super Netball 2025: West Coast Fever coach Dan Ryan says top-two finish ‘critical’ to premiership hopes

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