Nottingham Forest sent a powerful message to the Netball Super League with a commanding 70-54 victory over Birmingham Panthers, but head coach Chelsea Pitman insists her squad is just getting started. The win, fueled by a dominant 43-goal performance from South African international Rolene Streutker, snapped a four-game losing streak and propelled Forest up the table, now sitting just one point behind third-place Manchester Thunder.

"I still think we have a lot more in the tank and we're not even close to our best at the moment, which is exciting for us," Pitman told Sky Sports, highlighting the team's potential for growth. "We just need to make sure we are absolutely ruthless in our execution and just be relentless." This mindset, focusing on fundamentals and relentless effort, is a hallmark of championship-caliber teams.

After a strong 3-0 start to the season was followed by a difficult skid, the victory was a crucial return to form. Star shooter Rolene Streutker, named player of the match, credited a back-to-basics approach for the turnaround. "We've been training really hard and it's just so nice having the results to show for it," she said, emphasizing the payoff for their persistent work ethic.

For the Panthers, despite solid contributions from Betsy Creak (24 goals) and Sophie Egbaran (20 goals), lapses in the second and third quarters proved costly. Head coach Sonia Mkoloma acknowledged the performance fell short, stating, "We know it's not good enough... we put ourselves in a bit of a hole."

With their confidence restored and a coach believing there's another gear to find, Nottingham Forest looks like a team finding its rhythm at the perfect time. Their pursuit of the league's top spots promises to bring high-intensity netball in the coming weeks.