How London Pulse won the Netball Super League

As the final whistle blew at the O2 Arena, London Pulse’s players did not know quite what to do.

Halimat Adio, Tyler Orr, and Sophie Kelly streamed onto the court – they knew it was all over – while others embraced and 16-year-old Gracie Smith lapped up the crowd’s adulation.

Eventually, they all settled for lying down on the court, staring up at what they had achieved.

A first Netball Super League title was the result of both five years of building under Sam Bird, and more recent changes that transformed Pulse from challengers to champions.

Pulse finished last in their debut season in 2019 but by 2022 reached the play-offs, and a year later their first Grand Final, where their youthful side was beaten by an experienced Loughborough Lightning outfit.

A semi-final exit last season could have been seen as a step back, but some small tweaks were all that was required to complete an historic treble, winning the Super Cup, topping the regular season table and then taking the final step of Grand Final victory.

Pulse’s Grand Final triumph over Lightning typified much of the basis of their success.

Four of the starting seven at the O2 – Adio, Funmi Fadoju, Zara Everitt, and Olivia Tchine -  have been with the club since the start of Bird’s tenure in 2020 while another – Alicia Scholes, who joined in 2022 – brought the tally of Vitality Roses to five; all made their international debuts at Pulse.

It is that homegrown quintet that has formed the basis of Pulse’s recent success, having finished in the play-offs in the three seasons prior to finally getting their hands on the Netball Super League trophy.

The connections that continuity has brought is evident on the court, with Adio and Fadoju comprising a fearsome duo in the defensive circle, but of equal value has been the friendships and bonds formed off it.

“It makes a huge difference,” said captain Everitt. “It is obviously easier to be friends when you are winning all the time. In tough moments this year, we have stuck together and that foundational friendship that we have has really helped us.

“Most of us have known each other for years and then the girls that have come in have folded in so nicely. They are some of my best friends, winning with them is just so much fun.”

Pulse’s familiar feel was put to the test in the middle of the season, when their electric start was brought to an end by two defeats in three matches at the hands of Nottingham Forest and Lightning.

But Bird revealed there was no panic in the ranks. Instead, some honest and open conversations imbued fresh confidence that what they were doing was still the right thing as players balanced jobs, university dissertations and GCSEs.

“The response from the staff and players was excellent,” said Bird. “There was no finger-pointing, there was a lot of personal accountability, both from the coaches and from players.

“We really recognised it was small things that contributed to those losses, and we were still the same strong roster.

“We knew we would dip; it was giving the players the faith that it’s okay, you’re a quality side and we will come back. Our confidence has built again about what we can do.

“This has been the most cohesive squad we have had. We can tell by them choosing to do things away from training together. There is a lot of love and respect for each other.

“When you hit a bump in the road, it is very easy for those cracks to come to the surface, but it was the opposite with these guys, it was very much let’s pull together.”

The established quintet, alongside South African goal attack Nichole Breedt and young defender Darcie Everitt, formed the basis of the squad that looked to improve on their semi-final exit in 2024.

The key priority in the summer signing window was the centre position with Izzi Phillips and Jade Clarke both departing.

Australian Tyler Orr was quickly identified as a good fit, with Pulse spotting similarities between themselves and Adelaide Thunderbirds.

“What was missed potentially at the beginning of the season was how good Tyler Orr was going to be,” said Bird.

“They [Firebirds] have got a lot of flair in their team, a lot of different shapes and sizes, and different styles of netball. I just knew she would be a good fit for us.”

Orr’s addition was coupled with 16-year-old Gracie Smith, whose inclusion in the 10 initially raised eyebrows but has since proved to be one of the signings of the season.

“It was quite frustrating listening to some of the commentary and the noise across platforms about the fact I said I needed a more experienced centre and then I signed Gracie Smith,” revealed Bird.

“It really annoyed me. I have got many faults but one of my strengths is recognising talent and knowing what to do with it. Everybody has forgotten Gracie is 16.”

The only other addition was Sophie Kelly, who replaced Berri Neil at goal attack, and grew stronger and stronger as the season went on, while the decision to retain Darcie Everitt was more than vindicated by her performance in the Grand Final.

After Halimat Adio cramped up, the 19-year-old was thrown on against Samanatha Wallace-Joseph and held her own.

“I was so proud of her,” said sister and captain Zara Everitt. “I didn’t realise Hali was cramping up behind me, so when Darcie came on, I didn’t expect it.

“She has been so ready to come on and not only prove herself but help the team. She has had some great moments throughout the season, she helped us in a tough moment and stepped up and was leading from the back. It shows the depth of our squad.”

Pulse’s youthful nature has been a concurrent theme of the past five years, with their title-winning squad the youngest in the league.

The careers of Fadoju and Tchine - who both came through the pathway and are now key players for Pulse and England - are the best examples of the success they want to continue to achieve with their ever-expanding pathway.

“That has been the fabric of Pulse since I joined,” said Zara Everitt. “We have always had young players that have had to step up.

“Gracie is a great example of that this year. In the final, she came on and got two crucial interceptions.

“Sophie and Darcie have had their moments of brilliance. They have added so much, and I don’t think we ever see them as the younger players; we just see them as another player that is going to come on and do a job for us.”

Success on the court has been underpinned by the work off it, done aways from the eyes of fans.

Bird has believed for a long time that her franchise was more than ready for the advent of professionalisation and has backed those words up with actions.

 “With professionalisation this year, we really invested the money in the things people don’t see,” she said.

“We have got a much bigger physio resource, we have got a really good strength and conditioning team; it is a standing joke around how many people we have on the analysis team; we are up to eight analysts now.

“We’ve recruited a nutritionist that has been excellent for us. We’ve got GPS tracking now. We have really stepped up with all those performance things behind the scenes.

“I personally feel that has been a real step change. We have had specialist coaches come in, over and above the three coaches you see on gameday. We have thrown the kitchen sink at it behind the scenes.

“With my CEO hat that is scary because it costs a lot of money, you have to be prepared to put the money in and wait for the outcome. It is just getting started.”

There may well be more to come – Bird has revealed she is already thinking about defending the title – but there will be time too to look back on what has been achieved in five short years.

“None of us reflect enough because it is always about what’s ahead but when I am drained my husband is quite good at reminding me of where we have come from and where we are going,” said Bird.