The wins are sweeter and the defeats hurt that little bit more when it comes to sport’s most intense rivalries.
And Jamie-Lee Price says that’s the case when the GIANTS and Swifts take to the court, the 14th chapter of the fascinating Suncorp Super Netball NSW Derby will play out on Sunday afternoon at Ken Rosewall Arena.
The GIANTS begin Round 8 one game clear in the top four while the reigning champs are in eighth spot.
“100 per cent the NSW Derby means more,” Price said this week.
“I hate to bring up last year’s Grand Final but that really hurt. Whenever you lose to the Swifts it just hurts, you obviously don’t want to be the loser of the local derby. You see them literally most days and you know they have one up on you.”
An inaugural GIANT, Price says the rivalry has built over the years and a tough contest with plenty of heat is guaranteed no matter where the sides are on the ladder.
“It was always going to be a rivalry, two teams in the one city and state. The weirdest thing is that our change rooms are right across from each other so we see them around quite a bit,” she says.
“I think we were quite dominant at the start then Swifts got the wood over us a bit for a few years but I feel like it’s really shifting now. I’m really excited for the game on Sunday, it’s going to be a really hard game against Swifts.
“Whenever we play them, they always bring their A-Game and we know it’s going to be tough, no matter where the sides are on the ladder.”
The GIANTS are riding a wave of momentum after back-to-back-to-back wins, including a stunning come-from-behind victory over the Fever in Round 6 then an emphatic 82-54 result against the Lightning last week.
“I think the last couple of weeks have been really crucial for us. We had a really good start to the season then a bit of a lull for the three games we lost,” Price explains.
“We’re really finding some form now and I think we’re gaining a lot of confidence and belief in ourselves and that’s what we really needed. We just want to continue what we’ve been working on and what we’ve been improving on every week and it’s definitely been showing the last two weeks and we want to carry that on this weekend.
“The competition is so tight this season. Anyone can beat anyone so if we can get a win against the Swifts that’ll be amazing because the top four this year is going to be very tight and very challenging to stay in so any win is crucial for us.”
The GIANTS will host the Swifts this Sunday, May 8 at Ken Rosewall Arena for the second edition of Suncorp Super Netball's NSW Derby.
This piece was written byMegan Hustwaite - sports journalist and GIANTS Ambassador follow her here
