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Playing twice in two days is no easy task - the pressure is on this weekend

Manchester Thunder sit top of the table going into the double game weekend - Getty Images Europe
Manchester Thunder sit top of the table going into the double game weekend - Getty Images Europe

By the end of this weekend's Superleague double header we will be a lot clearer about how the season will pan out. As someone who has been involved in netball for a very long time, believe me when I say there has been no rhyme or reason for some of the results in recent weeks. I can't actually believe some of the best teams can go out and kill it one week but then be so poor the following week.

There has been massive inconsistency at the top end of the table, which means the top sides are under lots of pressure this weekend and the bottom teams have nothing to lose.

Playing two games in two days shouldn't actually be too difficult for many of the players, so long as they understand they need to recover properly, whether that means ice baths, nutrition or whatever. The international players will be used to it and it's brilliant practice for those playing at the World Cup this summer because it is exactly what they will do there, playing back-to-back games with a day or two off during the week.

Having said that, it will very much reveal how much depth different clubs have in their squads because if you only have a starting seven that you can rely on, playing on successive days will betray that and there are players who will naturally find it a tough ask.

Someone like a Rachel Dunn playing goal shooter should be able to back up one game to the next even though she is one of the older players because her position is not as physically demanding. Whereas someone like Jade Clarke has a tough task because - even though she will be fine mentally as an experienced player - it is never easy to produce at centre over 120 minutes.

I actually think the toughest challenge playing twice in a weekend is for the coaches. You need your team practising tactically to face one side and then you have less than 24 hours to do it again for the next game without a training session between. Say there is a shock result on Saturday, how does a coach regroup, pick their side up and tactically come back to win on Sunday? It's going to be a real test for a lot of the coaches.

If you're Strathclyde Sirens, for example, you have to prepare to stop the ball going into a huge six-foot seven-inch shooter in Mary Cholhok against Loughborough Lightning on Saturday and then it will be completely different against London Pulse the next day. Team Bath will have spent plenty of time working out how to take Sam Cook out of the game against Severn Stars on Saturday, but their match against Saracens Mavericks on Sunday is probably the top-four decider. That match is probably the game of the weekend because there is so much at stake.

The last few weeks have shown how difficult it is to make predictions, but if I had to stick my neck on the line based on recent performances I'd say I expect two wins from Thunder and Wasps, and for Bath to beat Mavericks. If that happens I don't think Mavericks will make the top four. But if Stars beat Bath on Saturday then who knows!

This double-game weekend has never been done over Easter before so it's another good opportunity to show how the league is trying to develop.

We hear a lot of netball supporters saying it isn't always easy to travel to things, so having so many games in one location is a great opportunity for spectators to see lots of teams. It's a really good step forward for the sport in terms of doing something out of the box, and playing in big venues in front of big crowds is great for player development as well because that's what happens on the international stage.

Sky Sports is the only place to watch the Netball Superleague. Strathclyde Sirens take on Loughborough Lightning followed by London Pulse v Manchester Thunder on Saturday April 20 from 3.45pm. Surrey Storm face Severn Stars followed by Team Bath v Saracens Mavericks on Sunday April 21 from 3.45pm. All games will be shown on Sky Sports Mix and Sky Sports Action.