Steel's first-time mums must deliver

OPINION: Southern Steel's hopes in this year's ANZ Championship will ultimately depend on first-time mothers Daneka Wipiiti and Leana de Bruin, writes Brendon Egan in this week's Nothing But Net.

The two former Silver Fern internationals are pivotal figures in the shooting and defensive circles, respectively, and if they are slow to adjust back to the rigours of top-level netball, Steel could well find themselves having to make up ground on the ladder in the second half of the season.

Personally, though, I don't think this will be the case.

Wipiiti and de Bruin gave birth late last year but after taking a bit of a break they have stepped back on to the training court in 2010 and put in the hard yards.

De Bruin has featured in all of Steel's preseason tournaments, while Wipiiti's progress was so positive she stepped back on to the court well ahead of schedule and has got back into the swing of things again.

The pair have made promising progress during the preseason, but I'm sure both will acknowledge that there is still a wee way to go until they are completely where they want to be.

Wipiiti is still as accurate as ever under the hoop, but her movement around the shooting circle is still slowly coming together.

De Bruin is also not far away from being the ruthless defender she has been in the past, but probably needs to be a bit more dominant when contesting for the ball and trying to unsettle opposition shooters.

Preseason netball, where most sides tinker with combinations and rest key players, and the ANZ Championship are worlds apart, though, and we should get a good indication of where the duo are at in Sunday's season opener against West Coast Fever in Invercargill.

Last year, new mums Adine Wilson and Donna Wilkins found the going a little tough in their first few hitouts with Steel in the ANZ Championship.

One decisive difference between them and Wipiiti and de Bruin is that the latter two both have a massive incentive to perform in this year's competition with the Commonwealth Games in India looming in October.

Wipiiti and de Bruin have worn the Silver Fern dress in the past and when speaking to them in the preseason they both sounded extremely driven and hungry to have a strong ANZ Championship and impress Ferns coach Ruth Aitken.

De Bruin will have to lead from the front at the back end of the court for Steel, with Silver Ferns veteran Sheryl Scanlan missing the opening rounds of the season with her troublesome calf injury.

That will present an opportunity at goal defence for talented youngster Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit, who I rate highly.

Steel won't lose anything with Selby-Rickit in the defensive circle and I hope the girl who is affectionately known as Hoochy can step up and make the position her own. When she's had a rare opportunity for Steel in the past, she's never let them down. Selby-Rickit finally has a starting spot now and a chance to show everyone what she is capable of.

» The latest addition to the Southland Times sports department, Brendon Egan is a transplanted Cantabrian who is still in mourning for the Ranfurly Shield. Brendon’s main interests are basketball and football and having spiky hair.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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