OVO AWL | Devils brace forÂ Thunder in Brisbane

Published Thu 28 Feb 2019

Queensland Thunder and Drummyone Devils will go head to head in this weekend’s OVO Play live stream match from Brisbane’s Valley Pool as part of the OVO Australian Waterpolo League round five action.

An undefeated Thunder women’s team are expecting two tough matches from the Devils. While leading competition goal scorer and Thunder Men’s captain Rhys Howden will be aiming to lead his side against ladder leaders Drummoyne.

Triple Olympian and Queensland Thunder women’s player Kate Gynther says the side have embraced the challenge of coming together as one team so quickly.

“All the girls have all really embraced the challenge of it and we’re playing really good water polo which is a positive.

“To come away after a very tough first couple of weeks and to be undefeated feels really good,” she said.

Thunder’s group have a strong base of young talent which has helped with depth across the pool in the first part of the season.

“Queensland’s next generation is looking in good shape, there are so many promising young players coming through.

“They’re all doing well and have stepped up at the start of the season. We’re not relying on one or two people to do everything in the pool and score all the goals,” she said.

Gynther credited a preseason camp at the Gold Coast for how well the side has gelled in such a short time.

“We spent a few days together in camp and had some very productive trainings, meetings and video analysis sessions.

“It was a really good chance to get the entire squad together and to get to know each other because we have a really wide range of ages.

“Bron (Knox) and I are the two with the most experience, but our youngest squad member is 15, so it was a good opportunity to get a good hit under our belts as a group,” she said.

Looking ahead to their double header against Drummonye Devils, Gynther knows their opposition will push them all the way.

“We are going to get two really hard games, last week they pushed Balmain all the way and they have a couple of players who are very dangerous around goals.

“We’re focused on our defence and sorting out which style we’ll play against them on the weekend and of course extra man is always important,” she said.

Drummoyne Devils’ Serbian important Marko MarÄeta has arrived in Australia and made an immediate impression, saying the pressure of sitting atop of the men's ladder will be good for his side.

“It feels good being on top of the ladder, but it also places some extra pressure on us.

“Some pressure is really good and it allows you to push yourself a bit more. It will be good to have that pressure on us for the whole season,” he said.

The major difference MarÄeta has noticed between Serbia and Australia early on is the attention Australian players place on their physical health.

“They pay a lot of attention to their bodies, do a lot of research around mobility and their sports science is a lot more advanced than Serbia.

“Australian’s are definitely fast swimmers, but the big difference is sport science and the way Aussies pay attention to their health,” he said.

Speaking on their approach for their round five double header, MarÄeta says Devils have had a heavy focus on defence at training.

“We will never underestimate our opponent because you never know what they’re going to do.

“Defence is the part we want to be recognised for and we have a coach that has come from the Europe with that mindset. I believe defence is everything, I love playing that kind of water polo,” he said.

He will travel to Brisbane for the second time in as many months.

“They have a great pool and are a really good team from what I hear. It will be a really interesting game and I’m excited to travel to Brisbane and play in that atmosphere,” he said.

Across the weekend the western derby between Fremantle and UWA Torpedoes will be sure set Perth alight.

Hunter Hurricanes will be looking to continue their momentum after round four when they host Sydney Uni Lions at Lambton Pool.

UNSW Wests Killer Whales travel to South Australia for a double header against FYFE Adelaide Jets.