Steel have last chance to fine-tune game play

With their opening match in the ANZ Championship looming next Sunday, Southern Steel have one last chance in Dunedin today to fine-tune their play and get up to speed ahead of the new season.

Steel finish off their arduous preseason campaign with matches against the Otago Lois Muir Challenge side and the Canterbury Tactix at the Edgar Centre, with coach Robyn Broughton searching for greater consistency right through the court.

Last weekend, Steel battled the five Australian franchises and Central Pulse in the fiercely contested SOPA Cup tournament in Sydney. Broughton said the side was right where it wanted to be at this stage in the season and would be using today's games to improve combinations and give everyone in the squad game time.

"We had a long, hard weekend last weekend with those five games," Broughton said. "This is the last one. Then we'll rest up."

Steel have arguably had the busiest preseason schedule of any ANZ Championship franchise, with the side playing 17 matches over four weekends during the past two months.

Promising young defender Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit looks set to start the season in the Steel goal defence bib, with Silver Fern Sheryl Scanlan still on the sidelines as she slowly bounces back from a calf injury suffered late last year. Scanlan has not featured during preseason games and is expected to miss the opening rounds of the season.

"It's frustrating, but there's not much you can do about it," Broughton said.

Selby-Rickit has been one of Steel's top performers during the preseason, taking her game to a new level, and Broughton believed she was ready to start in the ANZ Championship. Former Sting defender and Steel physio Jenny Ferguson will again be part of the Steel squad in Dunedin today in Scanlan's absence and is expected to act as cover for her in the opening rounds of the season.

Selby-Rickit will mark her younger sister Te Paea today, with the youngster a talented shooter for the Otago Lois Muir side.

Jade Topia makes a welcome return to the Steel attacking end in Dunedin after not featuring since their opening preseason hitout in Christchurch four weeks ago, with a back injury. Fellow shooter Daneka Wipiiti has also recovered from a heavy knock against the Firebirds in Sydney last weekend to take her place for today's games.

MATCHUPS

Southern Steel matches at Edgar Centre today: v Otago Lois Muir Challenge team11am v Canterbury Tactix1.15pm

- © Fairfax NZ News

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