Rolene Streutker is confident that her relentless pursuit of improvement has been the driving force behind her outstanding performances this season in the Netball Super League. The South African goal shooter, who plays for Nottingham Forest, currently leads the league with 411 goals, building on a brilliant debut campaign in 2025.
Team Focus and Personal Ambition
Streutker emphasises that every member of the Nottingham Forest squad has contributed to securing their first-ever Soft & Gentle Play-Off campaign. However, she admits that personal recognition remains a motivator. "My focus this year was more team oriented," she said. "I came in last year not really knowing Forest or the NSL. Coming in as a new player, nobody knows how to play against you. You are an unknown."
She added: "This year, I had a lot more focus on growing my game and knowing there is more footage on me. I was more focussed on team dynamics rather than individual stats. I have found it more difficult this year in a good way. I came in for growth and that’s what I’m getting. I have a competitive side so getting a few individual performances is still a goal for me, it is just not my main goal."
Forest's Collective Growth
Streutker's growth mindset is shared across the Forest squad, fostering confidence. After narrowly missing a top-four finish last season, a team retaining eight players secured their play-off place with two games to spare, defeating neighbours Loughborough Lightning 76-65. That victory has instilled belief that Forest can compete with anyone in the post-season.
"I am not jinxing anything, but we are going in to win," she added. "We didn’t come this far just to come this far. I have no doubt that we can win, it’s just that we go out and do it now. No team is going to play against us and think it’s going to be an easy game. We went into the Loughborough game quite calm and more driven than scared. We rocked up with smiles on our faces, and you could see throughout the whole game that we were enjoying ourselves."
Mental Strides Forward
The mental aspect is where Streutker believes the biggest improvements have been made. Experience and time playing together have helped the core squad understand each other's nuances. She also points to a new confidence in their ability and preparation. "The biggest difference from last year was we didn’t have anything to fall back on," she said. "We lost quite a few games last year that we couldn’t afford to, and it was just because we weren’t used to the different ways teams matched-up against us."
Streutker continued: "This year we have had a bit more time playing together, more experiences in different scenarios. We have something to fall back on; we have a Forest way of playing now, which I don’t think we had cemented last year. We train this week in, week out, and coming up against different teams is going to look different. You are not going to be able to play exactly the same way against every single team. We have the confidence that what we set up to do in the gameplan, we have to stick with it and find a way to make it work."
Nottingham Forest are now preparing for the Netball Super League play-offs, with the grand final scheduled for 20 June. Streutker is also eyeing a memorable summer with South Africa at the Commonwealth Games.
