After an outstanding opening Power Week at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, the Crinums remain the only unbeaten side in Division 1. Heading into the second leg in the Big Smoke, the defending giants of South African netball will undoubtedly have a massive target on their backs.

Captained by the legendary Karla Pretorius, the Crinums have been nothing short of ruthless. The Free Staters stormed to six consecutive victories, scoring a staggering 359 goals while conceding just 241 for an impressive goal difference of 118.

To put their dominance into perspective, the second-placed Gauteng Jaguars – whom the Crinums will face on Saturday – have scored 291 goals and conceded 277 for a goal difference of just 14.

Despite their flying start, the job is far from done, and maintaining momentum during the second phase of South Africa’s premier netball competition will be crucial if the Crinums are to stay on course for a fifth TNL title.

Coach Martha Mosoahle-Samm told OFM Sport she has been delighted with the way her side launched their campaign, but stressed the importance of maintaining their standards.

“We are very pleased with the first leg of the TNL. It really showed that the Crinums are in it to win it, but most importantly, it highlighted the consistency and standards the girls have set for themselves,” said Mosoahle-Samm.

“I don’t think there’s any turning back from that.”

Mosoahle-Samm added that while the team has impressed early on, there is still plenty of room for improvement, particularly in closing out matches strongly.

Karla Pretorius. Photo: Netball SA

“With the second leg, we want to focus on the areas where we can still improve – especially our conversion rate and being more clinical for the full 60 minutes. It’s about staying consistent, making the right decisions, and improving the technical aspects of our game.

“We’re going with the same mentality of taking every game as it comes, but most importantly, dominating. That’s the order of the day for us this year. I think we’ve now mastered what dominance means and also the importance of working hard so that we can compete easy.”

Mosoahle-Samm conceded that the unbeaten Crinums will now be the team everyone wants to beat, but she believes her squad is ready for the challenge.

The Crinums played a warm-up match against Botswana in Bloemfontein on Friday in preparation for the second Power Week. Photo: Netball SA

“The second Power Week is definitely going to be tougher because teams now have footage to analyse and they’ve gone back to work on their structures,” she added.

“But we are prepared as well, and some players will also be returning from overseas, which will make teams stronger. We’re ready for 2026, and we’ve started the campaign well – now we want to finish it the same way.”

The Crinums will start their second Power Week campaign on Saturday evening when they take on the Jaguars at 19:00 at the Ellis Park Arena in Johannesburg.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek dg