Leilani Turner aiming to be 'bigger presence' for Killester as defence of double looms

Killester are coming into the new Women's Super League campaign spurred on by the immense success from last season when they clinched the double by winning both the MissQuote.ie Champions Trophy and MissQuote.ie Super League title.

And for one of the youngsters in that trophy-winning team, it was both a magical year and one that she hopes will be a launchpad towards another successful season.

Leilani Turner relished being guided through 2023-24 by the experienced core of the Killester team - namely her older cousin Michelle Clarke, as well as Claire Melia and Ieva Bagdanaviciene - and her uncle, head coach Mark Grennell.

"I think it was the best experience for me being a young one on the team and getting to play with my older cousin and my uncle as the coach," Turner told RTÉ Sport as Killester prepare to start their Super League title defence against SETU Waterford Wildcats on 5 October.

"It was really special for the club and special for my family. It was lovely."

Leilani Turner is looking to take the experience of last year's title-winning season and help Killester to remain the team to beat during this campaign. pic.twitter.com/oaYZIhQhqu

The challenge for Turner now will be to continue to be a sponge when it comes to absorbing lessons from those aforementioned leaders of the team, while also aiming to play an even more central role herself through a long season.

"(Last season) was possibly one of the best experiences for a young player, getting to play with someone like Claire who's been on Irish teams from a very young age, and Michelle and Ieva.

"They're all very wise and learning from them was good for my game to elevate me, to bring me to that next level.

"I have learned a lot from last season and there were ups and