Michelle Magee and Leeds Rhinos ready to hit ground running in Netball Superleague

For the 24-year-old Northern Ireland international has become something of a stalwart at the Rhinos, the embodiment of just where working hard and learning as you go can take you.

She joined the Rhinos in the autumn of 2020 before they had even played a game in Netball Superleague, signing as one of three players on training contracts outside the 12-woman squad for their inaugural campaign in 2021.

Some four years later she steps out for Leeds in the season-opener against Severn Stars at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham on Saturday as the team’s vice-captain.

Having learned so much in Leeds since moving up from Loughborough Univeristy and their training programme, it will be a proud moment for Magee who is No 2 in the hierarchy behind Rhinos’ vastly-experienced off-season recruit Geva Mentor, the England legend.

“Things change so much from year-to-year and everyone has their own reasons for moving on,” says Magee, “but I started here as a training partner and have worked my way up and I’ve been really happy with all the support that I’ve received.

“I’m pleased with the way my game has improved during that time so for me it was always the intention to stay at the club as long as I keep on learning. I also love the life in Leeds, which makes it more special representing the city.

“Every year, the best option for me has been to stay, and I’m happy with my journey so far. I never take any season at Leeds Rhinos for granted.”

In the first two years she had to make the most of opportunities when players were injured to move up from training partner status to matchday squad.

Last year she kicked on, prompting her team-mates to vote for her as their vice-captain.

“It was really nice to know that the girls voted for me this year,” Magee, who was part of the leadership group last year, told The Yorkshire Post. “It just made it feel a bit more natural and organic coming from the group.

“Liana (Leota – director of netball) has met with me a lot, we’ve spoken a lot about leadership roles.”

Leota’s is the third head coaching voice she has taken guidance from in Rhinos’ short existence in English netball’s elite tier. Dan Ryan was her first coach, Tracey Wilkinson took over for the second year, and then former New Zealand international Leota came in ahead of last season on a three-year deal, giving the Rhinos the stability they needed.

Hearing from different voices has always been greeted by the 6ft defender as an opportunity, rather than something to have to adapt to, but it was perhaps the way she conducted herself at the start of last year that marked her out as a leader.

Leota’s team had a difficult pre-season and then a quarter of the way through the campaign discovered their two South African imports they had been waiting on, would not be joining after all. Through it all they picked up only one draw in the first half of the season.

“We went so many games without a win and it was so difficult to keep morale up,” admits Magee.

“There was a lot of pressure on that group to win a game and that made it even harder to do.

“For me in that situation it’s a mixture of just showing up and doing what you’re doing, and trying to lead the girls. It was an experience and something I learned from. It’s a cliche but I think we’re a lot more mentally robust now as a group because of that.”

She adds: “This is a brand new group, we don’t actually have that expectation and that external pressure, we’re focused on what’s going on in our group and we don’t worry about the noise outside of that.

“Yes it would be really great to get a win on the board on Saturday, and that’s our intention, but there’s such a lovely vibe in this group and there’s a lot of trust as well that we just want to perform on the day and whatever that brings, that brings.”

To that end, what is the ambition for 2024? Can Rhinos get back to a top-four finish and replicate their play-off appearance of their debut season?

“It’s definitely within our capabilities to make top-four this season, there’s no question about our potential,” says Magee. “It’s going to be a really tough season with so many teams contending, we’re under no illusions as to how tough it will be but it’s so nice that the group has belief.

“We want to push on and win in front of our fans, we want them coming out to see us and we want games to be exciting.”