Mary Nuba secures new contract after leaving Queensland Firebirds

She Cranes goal shooter Mary Nuba is set to remain in Australia's Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) league after ending her two-year spell with the Queensland Firebirds.

Nuba, who joined the Firebirds in 2024, says she has secured an opportunity to continue playing in the highly competitive Australian league, although she is not yet able to reveal her next club.

"My next step will be to go somewhere else here in SSN, which is a great opportunity considering how tough it is here to get spots. There are only 80 athletes that get signed in SSN and there are only eight clubs, so I have been fortunate enough to have a contract. I'm really grateful for that," Nuba said.

Her move comes after SSN clubs and players began finalising contracts following the completion of the season and the Commonwealth Games.

Nuba admits the uncertainty surrounding contracts made the period challenging for players, as many had to wait until the conclusion of the season to know where their futures lay.

"What they did is all players, after the Commonwealth Games and after the season finished, everyone was off contracts. Just like on Monday, that is when clubs and players were given the chance to lock down things," she explained.

"It has been a very tricky time for players because we could not get any actual confirmation if we had a contract or not. So, it has been a bit of a challenging time knowing your future. But yeah, I'm very grateful that I get another chance to play in this highly competitive environment."

Nuba leaves the Firebirds after two seasons that she says helped her gain valuable experience and build lasting relationships.

"My time at Firebirds has unfortunately come to an end, but the netball world is a very small world, so I'm always going to be a Firebird and always very grateful for the opportunity that I got to play at this club and all the experience that I got and all the friendships I will keep. I'm really proud of that," she said.

The Ugandan international also insists her departure was purely a professional decision, noting that player movement between clubs is common in Australian netball.

"Netball is a business over here. We get moved now and then and people switch clubs. That's just purely it. There is no motive around it," Nuba said.

"You take what you get really because the competition here is that high. You get to grab whatever you can."

Nuba's continued presence in the SSN will be a boost for Uganda, as she remains the country's only professional player.