Super Netball 2024: West Coast Fever star Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard preparing for double team in semifinal

West Coast Fever star Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard says she’s prepared for Sunshine Coast Lightning to send a double-team to her in their must-win minor semifinal on Sunday. The Fever will face their only premiership skipper, who made the high-profile move to the Lightning last off-season, having played 130 games for the club since debuting as a teenager. Bruce will now head to RAC Arena looking to end Fever’s season in the cut-throat final. The Australian goalkeeper will have the unenviable task of trying to stop the best goalshooter in the world in Fowler-Nembhard, who has once again spearheaded Fever into finals with 813 goals this season. Asked about her anticipated match-up with Bruce, Fowler-Nembhard said she’d be prepared for whoever the goalkeeper was and to be double-teamed. “I’m looking forward to any goalkeeper that I come up against and even the goal defence that they swing on me,” she said. “I’m happy whoever I come up against, I’ll be preparing for them both. “It’s like coming up against any other goalkeeper; it’s not different. It’s just knowing her strengths and making sure that I can nullify them and play to my strengths.” Fever head into the finals as the form team of the competition, having won their final three games, including an upset victory over Melbourne Vixens at John Cain Arena. It haltered a tough period for Fever in the middle of the season when they lost three of five games to drop out of the top two. Fowler-Nembhard said their form had given them plenty of confidence heading into a fifth-consecutive finals series. “I feel that we’ve found back our form and it’s gone up a gear,” she said. “This is good and I’m hoping we can find another gear going through the finals.” For Fever to claim the premiership, though, they will have to defy history and become the first team to do so from third, having come the closest when they lost the grand final in 2020. They will also have to win all three finals, including two away from home, something Fowler-Nembhard said was possible for this side. “We know what it takes and we have what it takes, it’s about making sure we lock into who we are, lock into our bubble and making sure that we’re doing the work that is needed and is required to get to the big dance,” she said. The winner of the minor semifinal will play the loser of the major semifinal played between Melbourne Vixens and Adelaide Thunderbirds on Saturday night.