SOUTH Belfast netballer Michelle Magee has been rewarded for her impressive performances for Leeds Rhinos in this season’s British SuperLeague with an upgrade to a full pro contract by the Yorkshire franchise.
When the established Emily Hollingworth, with whom she had been sharing the wing defence bib in any case in the early part of this season, ruptured her cruciate last month, Rhinos had the option of signing another overseas start but instead put their faith in Magee.
Apart from the increased salary and pleasing show of confidence from the Leeds outfit’s Aussie supremo Tracey Robinson, the benefit of being on a core contract is that Magee is guaranteed a place in every Rhinos matchday squad of 12, if fit, for the rest of the season.
That slightly strange technicality had actually worked against the 22-year-old earlier in the season when she had to be left out of a weekend double-header against Severn Stars and Manchester Thunder to accommodate the return of fit-again Paige Kindred.
Although all of Northern Ireland star Magee’s senior international netball experience has come in the back circle, she was selected to start at wing defence for Rhinos in their opening game of this SuperLeague season, a thrilling away win against Strathclyde Sirens.
She came on at half-time in the first home match against Team Bath in Sheffield and also featured in the victory over Celtic Dragons in Cardiff before being an unused sub as Rhinos lost to a Surrey Storm side for whom older sister Emma played the full hour.
However, when Rhinos played their first ever SuperLeague game at Leeds Arena, Magee was brought on for the final quarter with the hosts trailing against Wasps and played her part as the home team turned things around for a thrilling 44-43 victory.
The frustration of sitting out the Stars and Thunder matches was compounded by not being on hand to take over when Hollingworth went down injured in the first quarter at Manchester Arena, but Magee’s big break was just around the corner.
NI international Emma Magee, back in action after concussion, applauds the Surrey Storm crowd 
Given the nod to start away to Saracens Mavericks, Magee was the only one of five defenders used across the back three positions to play the full hour in a thrilling 53-51 triumph for Rhinos and her impressive personal stats underlined why.
Her new contract was officially announced ahead of the home match against London Pulse and again she played the entire game but, with several frontliners absent due to an outbreak of Covid-19, Rhinos lost 58-44.
Although Rhinos subsequently lost 62-54 away to Loughborough Lightning, they put up a fantastic fight against the reigning champions and Magee’s stats were again impressive even though she was off the court for part of the match.
Michelle was the player featured on the promotional poster for a recent Rhinos match and, this week and next, she is one of four stars involved in Easter Camps at Otley and Bradford with co-captains Jade Clarke and Vicki Oyesola plus Kiwi Tuaine Keenan.
Rhinos suffered a disappointing defeat at home to Strathclyde Sirens in this week’s live Sky Sports Monday teatime match against Sirens in Hull, starting and finishing at wing defence with a spell in the back circle and a turn on the bench in between.
The Leeds side face Dragons at 2.45pm tomorrow (Sat) and Bath at noon the following day in this weekend’s Easter extravaganza in Birmingham when all 11 franchises have double-headers at a single venue, all live on Sky Sports television and Sky Netball Youtube.
Whether that incredibly busy schedule combined with her new contractual status affects Magee’s availability to play Gaelic football for the Antrim county team in their forthcoming provincial championship campaign remains to be seen.
The Saffrons face Fermanagh, who are managed by former Armagh gaffer James Daly with retired Orchard captain Caoimhe Morgan as his number two, in their Ulster Junior Championship opener tomorrow (Sat) week, the day before Rhinos travel to play Wasps.
In spite of not having kicked a ball since the previous September’s All Ireland Junior final at Croke Park and playing for Rhinos in Cardiff the evening before, Magee showed glimpses of her quality as Antrim were beaten by Fermanagh in an NFL Division Four fixture in February.
Her sister Emma made a dash from a Netball World Cup warm-up match against the Isle of Man to come on and help transform the Saffron fortunes against Fermanagh in the 2019 Ulster Junior final, but she hasn’t been available for Antrim since that summer.
On a core contract with Surrey Storm, the 24-year-old goal attack started their first seven SuperLeague games this season before sustaining a nasty concussion against Pulse which forced her to miss two matches and then ease back into action via the bench.
An unused sub in the narrow away win at Celtic Dragons, Magee got the final few minutes at home to Severn Stars as Storm recorded a fifth consecutive victory for the first time in five years and was introduced before half-time against Bath last Friday night.
Magee’s reception from the crowd when she came on in the closing stages against Stars spoke volumes for the Northern Ireland forward’s popularity and, although Storm were well beaten by Bath, her performance was praised by Sky Sports pundit Camilla Buchanan.
Showing she hasn’t lost her physical confidence in spite of that traumatic concussion in the derby battle with Pulse, Magee repeatedly ploughed into the attacking circle like a rugby forward clearing a ruck and rampaged around the court to good effect.
Eagle-eyed Saffron followers may have been excited if they caught Emma’s soloing exhibition after Storm came back onto court to warm up for the second half, but Fermanagh fans needn’t worry about the prospect of facing a double dose of Magees this month!
Michelle (left) and Emma Magee have had limited availability for the Antrim gaelic county team in recent seasons due to netball commitments
Emma’s fellow Northern Ireland international and Storm vice-captain Niamh Cooper has played a prominent role in the Surrey side’s good recent run, though the north Belfast woman was taken off before half-time against Bath.
Storm face a daunting double-header over the Easter weekend in Birmingham with champions Lightning first up at 1pm tomorrow followed by unbeaten table toppers Manchester Thunder at 3.30pm on Sunday.
Northern Ireland captain Caroline O’Hanlon’s Thunder are now the only side with a 100 percent record in this season’s SuperLeague thanks to an epic 66-61 away win two Mondays ago against the only other previously undefeated team, Lightning.
The 2019 title winners were less impressive in winning 59-50 away to bottom placed Celtic Dragons next time out before recording a 12th consecutive victory on Saturday evening in Manchester against strugglers Severn Stars.
At home to opponents lying second from bottom of the table, head coach Karen Greig took the opportunity to shuffle her pack, with first choice centre O’Hanlon not starting for only the second time in the current campaign.
Just playing the last half hour in the 78-53 win against Stars, for whom Northern Ireland mid-courter Michelle Drayne wasn’t in the matchday 12, meant O’Hanlon was fresher for the Armagh gaelic county team’s NFL Division Two final against Kerry the next day.
Unlike untroubled Thunder the evening before, Armagh really needed O’Hanlon involved from the off in a big game against tough opposition but the triple All Star was inexplicably left on the bench until the second half of a heart-breaking 1-12 to 0-12 Orchard defeat.
Before facing her international netball colleagues Cooper and Emma Magee when Thunder tackle Storm, O’Hanlon’s league leaders get their Easter action underway with a match against Strathclyde Sirens tomorrow (4.30pm, Sky Sports and Sky Netball Youtube).
