While her name might not be familiar – yet – in England, Tyler Orr is one of an increasing number of Australians heading overseas to the new look Netball Super League, signing with London Pulse for 2025. While she was tempted to stay and push for a local contract, particularly with Laura Scherian announcing her retirement, Orr said it was the right time to make the move.
“I wanted to take my future into my own hands by looking for new opportunities. I’ve done four years now with the Thunderbirds as a training partner and then 11th player, so I considered how much new coaches and new teammates could contribute to my professional and personal growth.
“I’m really looking forward to getting to know the girls, learning as much as I can from them and the environment, and hopefully getting some more court time. Moving to England is a huge step in my netball career as well as for me personally.”
With a bottle neck of talent in Australia, the exciting young midcourter has had limited opportunities in Suncorp Super Netball, despite being part of three South Australian title winning teams in the national 17U and 19U championships. She’s had a long wait in the wings while some of her best mates have starred out on court for the Thunderbirds.
Orr said that has been challenging at times. “It does come down to your resilience, how hard you are willing to work, and how long you are willing to stay around to get your opportunity. That’s a key reason for my change. I’m a huge believer if you do the same thing, you will get the same results.
“So while you might wonder at times if you’re doing the right thing, it does come down to your love for the game, and your desire to reach as high as you can.”
Tyler Orr was the Thunderbirds 11th player this season, but has made the move to the London Pulse for 2025. Image: Hannah Howard/On the Ball Media
Pulse’s Director of Netball, Sam Bird, admires Orr’s drive, and has identified her as an outstanding young player who could help link their centre court and shooting circle. Bird explained, “Reflecting on last season, we needed to up our number of shots per quarter to win. We missed the attacking drive connecting into the circle.
“Looking at the Thunderbirds, Tyler is an exceptional player who’s been unlucky not to get court time as she’s sat behind a championship winning team.
“But she’s played with some outstanding players who have similarities to our front line, so I think she will provide that extra feeding pipeline we were missing.”
For years, Australia has been the destination of choice for international talent, but the increasing professionalism of English netball and their two import per team policy has seen greater numbers make the reverse journey. Orr said, “There are some in my position who are looking for opportunities and it’s really cool that we’re able to.
“There are limited places here in Australia, and if this is what it takes to earn a spot one day, it’s what people are willing to do.
“The new league will simulate an SSN environment. I’ve had a taste of what fulltime netball looks like as part of the Thunderbirds squad and being the 11th player, so hopefully I’ll be able to bring some of that experience to the girls who haven’t had that opportunity as yet.
“While I wasn’t on court with the Thunderbirds much, hopefully my off court experiences of being part of a winning team culture will be helpful.”
Bird believes Orr’s understanding of how a professional league works will be an asset to Pulse. She explained, “Players are being paid now, and their professional behaviours will need to continue to develop and improve. There’s more accountability for them, and for all of us. My job is trying to produce a winning roster and attract the best players, and I believe Tyler will be part of that puzzle.”
London Pulse Director of Netball and Head Coach Sam Bird. Image courtesy of London Pulse
Significant changes to the 2025 Super League include culling several teams and introducing others to total just eight, reducing player squads from 15 to 10, increasing player salaries, playing at least two home games in an arena rather than a sports hall, and a commitment by the league to televise or stream every match.
Bird said, “We will need to manage expectations because professionalisation is a slow process. It mightn’t look much different to start with. The salary for players has gone up on a tiered system, and we will train during the day more. Anyone with a job or who is studying will still be able to play because it’s only a partial shift at the moment. We also need to make sure we have staff available during the day, so it’s a big investment for the league.”
With all players out of contract and having to compete for little more than half of the previous number of places, Bird said it’s been a stressful time for the athletes. “For those who are usually starting seven, their main concerns are around what the transition will look like, what the staffing will be like, how they will progress and will the roster challenge for a title.
“For the developing athletes, it’s more about, ‘Wow, I’m in a ten so I’ll get more court time than in a roster of 15.’ It’s also been a very traumatic time if they missed out on a contract.”
Pulse have been able to retain seven of their previous roster, including a number of young English Roses. While more court time will please Bird’s team and help speed their progress, she said recovery will need extra attention. “We’ve talked a lot about that, where it fits in and making it a high priority.
“It will be a new challenge, and we really need to get the balance right so players aren’t sore or injured before the season even starts.”
Imports vary across different leagues – Australia with no restrictions, New Zealand allowing just one per team, and England offering up to two places for each franchise. That was important, according to Bird, to protect the integrity of the league.
“Because we are cutting player numbers overall, the league didn’t want to reduce places for British athletes too fast. That may well change – our new league is split into three phases. Phase one is for three years and then there’ll be a review and a step change into phase two. I imagine the number of imports will be reviewed then, but the decision was correct at this point. It’s already been incredibly tough for those players who’ve lost their place in a team.”
Bird has high hopes that the English Super League may eventually be on a par with those in Australia and New Zealand.
“It would be brilliant to have a number of top quality leagues operating as a global brand, so we all gain more fans, coverage and investment.
“At the moment, Suncorp is still the dream for many players. It’s not just salary driven – it’s about playing with the best in the world and it’s still rightly viewed as the world’s best league. But as our players get more competitive salaries, it will be interesting to see how the Super League will be viewed. Will it level out, or will they still want to move halfway round the world to play?
“The responsibility for that lies with the clubs and the NSL, with how the league does develop, how it looks and feels, and how competitive it is. Top players want to play with and against the best players so they reach the pinnacle of their careers.
“At the moment there’s been a lot of white noise around the league and it still feels uncertain as to how it will unfold. But I’m very passionate about empowering women and girls – this is a genuine change and we are very excited to be part of it.”
That sentiment is echoed by Orr. She’ll be temporarily leaving behind some of her best mates who she’s played alongside for years, but being part of the new league was an opportunity too good to refuse. “Their revamp is exciting, and I can’t wait to be part of that growth. Pulse are quite a successful club, and I’m hoping to contribute to that.
“I feel ready.”
Tyler Orr will join a strong roster with a number of English Roses, including Funmi Fadoju, seen here picking off an intercept. Image supplied by London Pulse
