5 Apr 2024
Super League preview round 18 - Staffs' Lee and Leeds' Murangwa desperate to win relegation decider
Newcastle Staffs hosts Leeds Gorse on Saturday at the Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre (first serve 2pm) with both sides knowing there is absolutely no room for error.
Whoever loses the match will go down – no ifs, buts or maybes. The winner, is not guaranteed Men’s Super League status next season either, but they will, at least, have the opportunity to fight for their place.
The reward for finishing ninth in the table by securing victory is a play-off against the second-placed team in NVL Division 1 – either London Giants or Black Country – on Saturday 27th April.
That would be no easy game for either Staffs or Gorse, but it nevertheless provides a ray of hope that both teams are determined to grasp.
Castle libero Michael Lee has been a near ever-present for his side during 2023-24, having stepped up to the Super League after previously playing in the NVL for Darkstar Derbyshire while studying at the University of Derby.
The man who hails from East coast seaside resort Great Yarmouth has seen the good times and bad times over the last few months, with the lows outweighing the highs, as illustrated by the teams precarious league position.
However, he is adamant they can end on a positive and still preserve their top flight status, which would count as an excellent season given the club’s other successes.
The men’s second team have already secured promotion to Division 2 from Division 3 North West with two games to spare, the U18 Boys team will contest the National Cup Final for their age group at Cup Finals Weekend on 20th and 21st April and the women’s team have secured a Division 3 Central play-off place at least.
If the senior men can win their next two high-pressure matches, it really would be the icing on the cake.
“It has been quite a frustrating season for us because we have shown on our day that we can be a good side,” said Michael. “We won at Richmond Docklands and have have put in some other good performances too, which have underlined our potential.
“But we have also lost some games where we have really struggled, particularly with our serving, and we have also had a few injuries and unavailabilities as well.
“Our setter Cameron (Rhodes) has been out since Christmas and only recently returned for the last couple of games which has been a big loss for our offence, because you build up connections and then have to start again with someone else.
“Jermaine Miles was doing well for us in the early part of the season, but he has not always been available. Outside David Hodson has also been out injured for two months, and he is an important player for us.
“Missing three key players, as we have, is always going to affect any team and even though people who have come in have done well to keep us competing, there’s no doubt it has had an impact.
“But 100% we can still do it. I think our serving has got better in the last few weeks and it’s allowing us to focus more on our offence, plus we’ve had some of the missing players come back.
“It’s amazing it’s come down to this last game, but we will be giving it our best shot.”
As well as being a breakthrough year at Super League level for Michael, he has also enjoyed the experience of England Senior Men’s Novotel Cup triumph in Luxembourg in December.
Alongside that, the former East Norfolk Sixth Form student has also been busy taking his first steps on the coaching ladder, overseeing Loughborough Students men in both their BUCS and NVL matches.
Michael added: “Just getting into the senior England set-up has been fantastic. The chances I have been given and the coaches I have worked with and what they have done for me has been great.
“It’s been especially pleasing to get the call knowing that you are competing against some great libs out there and I’ve enjoyed training with (fellow lib) Chester Searle.
“To be part of the squad that won Novotel was huge and I learned a lot from my team-mates about their mentality and how they go about approaching the game. I’ve also made some good friends too and everyone is in it together.
“I’d done a bit of coaching here and there and it is always something that has interested me, but this is my first season where I have committed to it fully.
“They are a good bunch of players and I have enjoyed the experience. They are a very athletic team but a few of them have not been playing that long, so it’s about trying to help hone the technical and tactical side of things.
“I love to help and see people getting better and some of the guys have said they have appreciated my input, which is always nice to hear.”
On the other side of the net from Michael, equally determined to come out on top in the relegation decider is Leeds’ talisman Nelson Murangwa.
The Rwanda international – who has played professionally in Japan, Denmark and Finland – has enjoyed a stellar season on a personal level, despite his team’s collective struggles.
Named as Errea Player of the Month for December, he has been a bastion of consistency in leading the attack, completing a mammoth 250 kills from 533 attempts during the season to date.
The man who measures 207cm tall will be looking to finish the season with a bang and help propel the West Yorkshire side a step closer to safety, which would, he feels, be a satisfactory conclusion to a season of transition.
“Some weekends we have played really well and pushed some of the best teams in the league hard and there have been others where we have not played as we would have liked, but that’s how it goes and the good thing is we have kept going and kept together as a group,” said Nelson.
“The team is growing over time and while it is not there yet, there is plenty to build on and, if we can stay in Super League, I’m convinced we can have a much better season next season.
“We have got a really good Junior programme here, one of the best in the country (with the U16 side contesting the National Cup final later this month and the second team able to secure promotion from Division 3 North this weekend with two victories). If you want to strengthen a club in the long-term, then developing your own players is the way to go.
“It’s crazy that it has come down to the last game. When we started out at Opening Weekend back in October, no-one could have predicted this.
“We obviously played them earlier in the season and so we know we are a good team. We managed to beat them 3-1 last time (25-20, 21-25, 25-23, 25-22). That does give us some confidence going into this, but, at the same time, it was close and we know every game is different.
“I know how much my team wants to win, but Staffs will be the same, so it will be who can play well on the day who will get the win.”
When Nelson first moved to England in 2022, initially settling in London for the first few months, he intended to quit volleyball for good.
However, his cousin lived in Leeds and played for Gorse at the time, eventually convincing the powerful hitter to get back on the court.
From there, Nelson – who was lured over to volleyball from basketball at the age of 14 – has fully immersed himself in the club.
He now works for the Gorse Academies Trust, going into schools across the city of Leeds to encourage them to give volleyball a try, as well as coaching in the junior set-up.
He said: “I had told myself I was done with volleyball when I moved over here – but that didn’t last that long!
“I played a couple of games to help out at first, but said I wasn’t interested beyond that, but they said “just one more game” and, before I knew it, I was back into it and enjoying it again.
“The game is definitely growing here, you can see the positive changes being made. What it is like for Opening Weekend here it is like for teams overseas every week. There is definitely a way to go yet, but it’s moving in the right direction, without a doubt.
“The coaching side of things has been a whole different thing for me, but the fact I am still playing has helped me and hopefully the kids have found some value in the things I have had to say.
“You go through so many different emotions when you are off the court and on the sidelines, but you get to see a very clear view of the game and when you can influence the game for the better it is very satisfying.”
Feature pics by Nathaniel Macrae
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