Round 11 results:
London Mavericks 57-48 Nottingham Forest
Cardiff Dragons 54-71 Loughborough Lightning
Leeds Rhinos 55-69 Manchester Thunder
London Pulse 63-58 Birmingham Panthers
My highlights:
- Mavericks beat Forest in a crucial battle between fourth and fifth place to massively increase their chances of a semi-final spot.
- Lightning show Dragons why they are the defending champions and confirmed their participation in a fifth playoff match in a row.
- Thunder also take a step towards qualification with a victory over Rhinos.
- Panthers falter at the final hurdle against Pulse but manage a take a thoroughly-deserved bonus point for their efforts.
Natasha’s Round 11 Seven:
GK: Razia Quashie (London Mavericks)
GD: Gabby Coffey (Birmingham Panthers)
WD: Cassie Howard (Leeds Rhinos)
C: Nat Panagary (Loughborough Lightning)
WA: Bethan Dyke (Cardiff Dragons)
GA: Nichole Breedt (London Pulse)
GS: Elmere Van der Berg (Manchester Thunder)
Round 12 fixtures:
Friday 30th May, 19:30: Manchester Thunder vs Cardiff Dragons
Predicted winner: Manchester Thunder
Saturday 31st May, 16:00: Loughborough Lightning vs Nottingham Forest
Predicted winner: Loughborough Lightning
Sunday 1st May, 18:00: London Pulse vs Leeds Rhinos
Predicted winner: London Pulse
Sunday 1st May, 18:00: Birmingham Panthers vs London Mavericks
Predicted winner: Birmingham Panthers
Natasha’s insights:
Now that Loughborough Lightning and London Pulse have both secured their place in the 2025 playoffs, the race for the final two spots is truly on. Manchester Thunder, who currently sit in third with 25 points, are likely to take the third spot, and London Mavericks are in control for spot number four, with Nottingham Forest trailing them by 6 points. But never say never! At the bottom of the table are Cardiff Dragons, who, despite showing some positive performances recently, have failed to adapt to the Super Shot.
Ever since their loss to Forest, London Pulse have shown visible cracks in every game, somehow managing to get the win on all but two occasions. Their defensive end has been consistently strong, but their attacking end is faltering at the wrong time as we approach the business end of the season. Can they hold on to win their first NSL title? Only time will tell.
You can catch the remaining three rounds of the NSL on Youtube, Sky Sports and BBC Sport.
Additionally, if you want to hear more from me, you can head over to @tash_talker1 on Instagram to find my viewpoints and predictions!
