Sunshine Coast coach Noeline Taurua claims the West Coast Fever are scared of her Super Netball team and she welcomes the prospect of a hostile Perth in front of what's on track to be a record grand final crowd.
The New Zealand-born coach is looking to guide her side to back-to-back titles in the eight-team competition's second season and is confident of making amends for two one-point losses to the Fever in the regular season.
"I think both of those games we had them but weren't able to keep the pressure on and lost ball in those critical moments," Taurua said.
"I think if anything, they would be very scared of us out of all the teams they've played."
The Lightning have never before played at Perth Arena, where the grand final will be held.
More than 11,500 tickets have already been sold for Sunday's game.
The season decider is on track to surpass the largest Super Netball crowd of 11,871, which attended the NSW Swifts-Queensland Firebirds and Giants-Lightning double-header at Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena last year.
Also in danger is the national netball attendance record of 13,314 at the same venue for the 2016 trans-Tasman clash between the Swifts and Firebirds.
Taurua is unfazed by the prospect of a big partisan crowd willing the success-starved Fever to their first major title.
"I love these occasions. There's nothing better (than) to silence a crowd, plus put something out there that people just go, 'Wow!'," Taurua said.
"The more the merrier. I'm looking forward to playing in front of their home crowd. I hope they are very parochial."
Taurua is confident of countering the competition's runaway leading scorer, Jamaican shooter Jhaniele Fowler, a player she coached in New Zealand at the Southern Steel during the 2016 trans-Tasman competition.
"Jhaniele's a big body and also a big personality. I look forward to combating her or looking at ways we can combat her strength," Taurua said.
South African goal defence Karla Mostert will be a key to curbing Fowler's influence and Taurua backs the 28-year-old after her superb performance in the Lightning's preliminary final win over the Giants.
"I'm sure she'll be able to handle that easily," Taurua said.
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