QBL Womens games worth watching in 2016

Sunshine Coast Phoenix vs. Sunshine Coast Rip 5.30pm, Saturday April 30 @ Maroochydore Basketball Stadium The QBL newest team makes its inaugural debut game at cross town rivals Sunshine Coast Phoenix. Phoenix are an amalgamation between Caboolture, Maroochydore and Noosa associations and will be playing for the first time as a unified team. Sunshine Coast Rip was reportedly offered to join the amalgamation, but instead went solo. While neither team is expected to have a strong season, this game would be definitely circled in their calendar as must win games. Should be the beginning of intense local rivalry.

Rockhampton Cyclones vs. Gladstone Port City Power 6.00pm, Saturday April 30 @ Hegvold Stadium QBL fans don’t have to wait for long for a repeat of the 2015 Grand Final series. Rockhampton won their first QBL women’s championship and they would be more that keen to start the season on the right foot against their Central Queensland rivals. Gladstone will have to adjust to life without Derek Rucker. Ray Cooper returns as head coach for the women’s program but with plenty of roster chances anticipated, its hard to predict whether Gladstone has the goods to compete for a championship. Nevertheless, it’s a rivalry game and both teams are will be gunning for the win. Gladstone Power vs. Ipswich Force 6.00pm, Saturday, June 11 @ Kev Broome Stadium Ipswich have been the premium women’s team in the SEQ for several years and were the only team last year to beat Mackay and Rockhampton while they came within a whisker of beating Gladstone. They have all those game away from home this year and it could cost Force their slim chances of getting a home semi-final. While the Rockhampton-Mackay road trip is a tough one to get wins, facing Gladstone first up on their Gladstone-Bundaberg roadie could be their best opportunity of getting an upset. Logan Thunder vs. Brisbane Capitals 5.00pm, Saturday, July 30 @ Cornubia Park Sports Centre

Both team should be in the hunt for that second spot at the central pool and it might come to this game to determine second place. Last season assistant coach for the Thunder Rebecca Dudic has taken over for Brisbane Capitals, so expect an interesting battle in term of the coaching strategies. With Northside gone from the QBL this could be the beginning of a new rivalry in the SEQ for the Capitals. Rockhampton Cyclones vs. Mackay Meteorettes 6.00pm, Saturday, July 30 @ Hegvold Stadium Rumour has it that Rockhampton is considering moving this game to the 2700 seat stadium at CQU. That could be a massive coup for QBL and the Central Queensland region given that this could be a game with hosting finals implications. Rockhampton have a rough schedule with Cairns, Townsville, Gladstone, Mackay and Ipswich in the last 4 weeks. Mackay are revamping their entire women’s squad following the departure of many key players that were a part of their championship runs. Even in Cyclones last year’s championship run Mackay were the only team to beat Rockhampton twice so this game should be a cracker. South West Metro Pirates vs. Logan Thunder 5.30pm, Saturday, August 6 @ Hibiscus Sports Complex The second annual Karlie Adams Foundation game between the Pirates and the Thunder is set to take place on the final round of regular season. Two neighbouring associations always provides some intrigue. There is a chance that both team playoffs chances might have been already determined prior to this game however supporting a foundation that want to eliminates a disease that has taken far too many innocent lives is worth watching this game.