Northern Rovers sit on top of the LOTTO NRFL Women's Premier Division with a four point lead - for coach Ben Bate, it's a satisfying place to be. 

"We've achieved some of the goals we set ourselves at the start of the season, which is always positive. So we've had to kind of readdress where we're at and establish news ones. We've managed to be consistent over a long period, especially with disruptions like COVID. We knew our squad was going to be essential to any success that this year, and fortunately we've got a deep squad, and we've been able to ride those waves and still perform on the weekends, which is really great," said Ben Bate.  

After finishing third behind Eastern Suburbs and Western Springs in 2021, a lot of work has gone into Rovers squad and culture and it's paying off with an impressive series of results, including impressive wins over Eastern Suburbs and Auckland United. But being out in front has required a rethink of plans from the start of the season. 

"Sometimes it's easier being in the middle of the pack, aiming for the one of the top rather than being one of the top knowing that everyone's chasing. This league is competitive all around anyway - we've seen big improvements with the use of video in (coaching tool) HUDL, and teams are a lot better prepared than they used to be. You're not just rocking up on the day and hoping for the best, coaches are investing a significant amount of time and resource into making sure that the team is as best prepared as possible for the weekends." 

"It's not just who's got the best 11 players, but who can provide the best match plans, get the best out of your players and obviously negate the threat from the opposition. So yeah, we're at a bit of a different challenge mentally." 

Rovers coach Ben Bate

With the disappointing early finish to the 2021 season in the past and play able to go ahead most weeks, juggling resources to allow for players isolating or affected by COVID,  is a real squad depth challenge. 

"I actually think this season has been far more disruptive than the previous ones. Obviously losing the end of the season last year was a tragedy, but on an individual game basis and trying to manage squads from week to week, this season has been the most challenging one that I certainly experienced, your depth is found out pretty quickly." 

Rovers put a lot of work into building their squad, both in the playing roster and culture within it, to set them up for challenging for the title this season. 

"We've just got a fantastic group of girls, who are very, very well motivated and extremely aligned, considering we have 15 to 31 year olds in the group. This culture and group are the best that I've seen, and that's probably reflected in the results as well."

Michaela Foster scores against Suburbs

"Michaela Foster and Chelsea Elliott have come in this year and had a massively galvanising effect on the team through their play and as people, because they want to be part of the younger players journey. Some of our younger players need that little bit of guidance, and that's where we've kind of fallen short in previous years where we've had very young teams that we haven't had those senior players around them to really give them those conversations on the football pitch and in training, that sort of add that little bit of that a bit of value beyond what coach can deliver." 

"Also our captain Talisha Green, who's been with the club six or seven years now, who I've coached since she was 14 years old. She's one of our most dependable players. It's a really cool mix and bond between the older and the younger players to help those younger players who have aspirations of playing for New Zealand to achieve those aspirations."

Bate nominates the 0-0 draw with Western Springs as one of the hardest matches so far this season, and is looking forward to the challenge of meeting them again in the future. 

"Western Springs are always a tightly, tightly contested encounter. Our games this season have been very tight, committed and two very well coached teams trying to almost cancel each other out to a degree. Our players certainly appreciate the challenge, and I'm sure we'll have great games ahead in the league and the cup."  

Chelsea Elliott scores against Suburbs.

Article added: Friday 27 May 2022