NSW Swifts standout Paige Hadley says her side will play like they have nothing to lose in Super Netball, starting this weekend against the Magpies in Sydney.
Staring down the barrel of a third-straight loss, and, with arguably the toughest three teams in the competition ahead, Hadley points to a lack of consistency and time together as the weakness in her young and exciting, yet largely inexperienced, side.
The next three games could decide the seventh-placed Swifts season's fate with the star-studded Magpies (fifth), Giants (first) and Sunshine Coast Lightning (third) to play.
The new-look Swifts surprised punters in the opening round of competition when they gave the glamorous Giants a run for their money before toppling the Adelaide Thunderbirds and then forcing a gruelling draw with the Melbourne Vixens in round three.
Since then, though, it has been a slippery slope - losing to the Queensland Firebirds in Brisbane and less favoured West Coast Fever in Perth last weekend.
Hadley admitted it has been a rough string of results.
"Three losses doesn't sit well with us ... you've seen patches that we can play really good netball and then there's patches when we're inconsistent and that's what's letting us down," Hadley told AAP.
"Every game for us is like a grand final and every game we're pretty much the underdogs."
On Sunday, they face an ever improving Magpies outfit, stinging from a narrow one-goal loss to the Lightning.
"We're not going to think about who we're playing or what their name is or what their stats are, it's literally about going out there and doing our job and enjoy coming up against the best," Hadley said
"The seven other teams have really put (the Magpies) down as the benchmark, they're coming against them and they're playing like they've got nothing to lose, playing with fearlessness and they're not worrying about anything.
"We're looking really forward to getting back to Sydney. Being at home, coming up against the like of the Magpies, because you've got nothing to lose."
Leading from example, vice-captain Hadley tops the league for feeds into her shooters with 179 balls. Her match up with Diamonds defender Ash Brazill will be a key.
"Ash Braz has been in really good form ... I think individually if I can stick to my job and work down my opponent and really keep Braz out of the game, it can open the attack end," Hadley said.
"We've got to play smart."
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