Leeds Rhinos Netball move promptly to replace Joyce Mvulu with Jamaican goalshooter
Lauren Palmer is confident an enforced change at the pivotal goal-shooter position will not affect Leeds Rhinos’ chances of launching a sustained challenge for Netball Super League’s top four when the 2026 season begins later this month.
One of the more serene pre-seasons in the club’s history hit an unexpected bump in the road in January when Malawi international Joyce Mvulu-Chimwenje announced she was pregnant and would be leaving the team.
But Rhinos did not succumb to a knee-jerk reaction and in 6ft 5in Jamaican international goalshooter Simone Gordon, 27, believe they have been rewarded for a thorough search with the perfect replacement for their top scorer of the last two seasons.
“It was a huge blow,” said Palmer, who enters her second year as head coach.
“Joyce is a big part of Rhinos. It was a shock when she told me but we couldn’t be happier for her, she’s just got married, starting a new family, we’re wishing her all the best.
“It hit us hard, we went through a bit of a process of a week or so of just getting our heads around it.
“The way we approached recruiting a replacement was we wanted someone as similar to Joyce as we could find, we spent a whole pre-season getting the ball to Joyce, so we were looking at that tall, holding, strong-shooter under the post and Simone is definitely in that category.
“So Simone is coming in, she’s on her way back to Jamaica having played in the test series in Australia. She’s a 6ft 5in Jamaican shooter which we can’t really ignore.
“Our mid-court love to chuck the ball in early so having that target gives us a different dimension.
“Harriet (Jones) and Paige (Reed) have been brilliant in rotating around that circle but for us to be able to chuck someone in who can hold and give us something different is really exciting, and Simone is relishing that opportunity.”
It is unlikely Gordon will be in England in time for the Netball Super Cup which opens the season at the Sheffield Arena next Saturday due to visa constraints, but she could be available for Rhinos’ home opener and second game of the season against Loughborough Lightning on Friday, March 6.
Gordon, who could even arrive in time for the season opener away at Birmingham Panthers on February 28, said: “I am extremely excited to be joining NIC Leeds Rhinos Netball and the chance to compete in the Netball Super League for the first time.
"I can’t wait to join up with the rest of the team in the UK and to experience a new competition.
"I am ready to learn from the coaches and develop my game in a new environment and I’m looking forward to getting started.”