Super League Preview | Battle of the North

Newcastle’s women arrive with the ambition of handing Durham their first defeat of the Palatinate campaign. The women in purple have been flawless so far, but the Knights will take confidence from their weekend victory over Leeds Gorse. They are unbeaten in their last two matches, although they have played just five games this season — the fewest of any side in the Women’s Super League.

Head coach Sam Shenton believes the challenge is one his squad will relish. “They’ve [Durham] brought in over 20 North American post-graduates this year, and it’s unbelievable for the league,” he said. 

“It’s great for the league because it shows the level of play that exists in other countries.”

Shenton also emphasised the importance of high-performance volleyball in the North: “It’s exciting to be part of a fixture like this. It’s important for the league to show there are great high-performance teams up here.”

“It’s really important that the northern teams — Nottingham, Leeds, Durham, Newcastle — stay as strong as possible to keep challenging the teams down south.”

Durham have been nothing short of dominant this season, dropping just five sets in six matches. Two of those came on opening weekend against Darkstar Derbyshire — the same opponents they dispatched 3–0 last weekend. Paul Welch’s side will be hoping for a repeat performance on Thursday night.

League-leading blocker Elly Schraeder has been a consistent presence at the net, while hitters Chloe Thomas and Issy Decker continue to provide a clinical edge in attack.

Few teams have been able to disrupt a Durham side that thrives on momentum, underpinned by an impressive 62% side-out success rate. Their depth has also been a key strength, allowing head coach Paul Welch to rotate his squad and adjust tactically as required.

For Newcastle, a lack of fixtures makes it difficult to gauge exactly where they stand. The sides have already met twice in BUCS competition this season, with Durham winning both encounters 3–1. However, taking sets off the league leaders should encourage a young Knights squad as they look to push into the Final 4 ahead of the weekend fixtures.

While Shenton admits a Final 4 finish is firmly in his sights, he remains cautious. “We need to take one game at a time,” he said, with crucial trips to Essex and Lionhearts Vinarius looming in early February.

Will Newcastle spring a surprise on Thursday evening, or will Durham extend their lead at the top and move three points clear of Malory Eagles?

Elsewhere in the MAAREE Women's Super Leagie Team SideOut Polonia and Leeds Gorse face a busy weekend, with both sides playing twice.

SideOut open Saturday’s fixtures with a long trip north to face Durham, hoping to capitalise on any fatigue in the Palatinates’ ranks. Mark Kotopolis’ side have not featured in Super League action since 14 December at Super League Live, where they secured a convincing 3–0 win over Lionhearts Vinarius to cement their place in the Final Four heading into the Christmas break.

Despite the league hiatus, SideOut have remained competitive, progressing to the National Cup quarter-finals with a win over London Bears. They will now face fellow Super League side Essex Rebels for a place in the semis.

Having finished inside the top four for over a decade, SideOut will be keen to maintain that record. However, it has not been a straightforward campaign so far, with three of their six league matches going the full five sets — a sign of just how competitive this season has been.

On Sunday, they travel to Leeds Gorse, who are still searching for their first win of the campaign. Gorse showed real resilience last time out, pushing Essex Rebels hard before narrowly losing the second set 25–23. The sides have yet to meet this season, although SideOut completed a league double over Leeds last year.

Leeds also host Lionhearts Vinarius on Saturday, with the London side returning to action in search of their first win of 2026. Their most recent outing saw them catch Malory Eagles off guard, edging the opening set 26–24, but they were ultimately beaten 3–1 by the defending champions.

It is a crucial weekend for Lionhearts, who will be eager not to let Newcastle Knights pull further away if they are to secure safety and another Super League season. With new signings coming into the squad, Vinarius will hope fresh energy can translate into points, potentially closing the gap to Newcastle to just three points if results fall their way.

Dynamik Men’s Super League

In the Dynamik Men’s Super League, there is just one fixture on Thursday night as Newcastle face Durham in another “Battle of the North.” The Knights will be aiming to cut the gap to London Giants to two points, having narrowly missed out on a maximum return against Leeds Gorse last weekend.

Head coach Sam Shenton acknowledged the league’s competitiveness:

“Anyone can beat anyone now that the league is down to eight teams.”That unpredictability was on display last weekend, with Leeds pushing Newcastle close before securing their first win of the season against Essex Rebels on Sunday.

Newcastle’s limited match action since 7 December has led to suggestions of rustiness, but Shenton dismissed the idea. “It’s not winter cobwebs — we don’t have that excuse,” he said.

Looking ahead to Durham, Shenton is mindful that some of his players may be carrying fatigue, as Northumbria faces Durham in BUCS competition on Wednesday night, with several Northumbria players set to play for the Knights side in the Super League. However, he sees a potential upside in being able to scout Durham just a day before their Super League clash.

Men's Head Coach Ross Enfild also recognises the benefit of BUCS and how it keeps the northern teams highly competitive. "It’s great having a strong rivalry with Newcastle. In reality, we have a strong northern group in BUCS, which helps bring that competitive edge. There’s a lot of crossover of players past and present which also adds to the dynamic."

Ross said the team can afford to “go hard for these two games”, with them being their only fixtures this week and a free weekend to follow.

Former Newcastle Knights and Team Sunderland setter Noah Sykes, now with Durham, is one player to watch. The Northumbria alumnus has recently joined the Palatinates as they push for a Final 4 spot.

Shenton had high praise for his former player: “Last season he was probably the best English setter in the league. He adds a really fast offence, strong decision-making and real composure.”

“It’ll also be great for Joe to learn from him. Joe’s mainly learned from six-foot-seven Californian setters, which isn’t really his game, so learning from Noah will be huge for his development.”

Ross knows Knights will fight hard for the game, saying, "Knights are a well-drilled side, and Sam is doing a great job with them."

"I believe we have the capacity to beat them, though and push for the top 4 as all teams in the league are competitive this year."

Will Durham be able to get their 2026 campaign off to a winning start of will Knights keep their unbeaten run going and keep pressure on the top two in the league?

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