Southern Steel get back on court

After weeks of preseason training, Southern Steel will step back on to the court for the first time this season at a preseason tournament in Christchurch this weekend.

Steel play four matches against the Canterbury Tactix and Eastwood Ryde, a New South Wales state premier league side, during the next two days and Steel coach Robyn Broughton said it would be a great chance to see where they were at six weeks out from the start of the season.

The majority of Steel's squad will be available for the matches during the weekend, with only Sheryl Scanlan (calf) and Daneka Wipiiti – who is easing herself back after the recent birth of her first child – not suiting up for the trip. Steel training squad member Kendall McMinn will make the trip north to be part of the squad in their absence.

Preseason matches are always an ideal occasion to try new combinations and dust off the cobwebs and Broughton said that would be their main objectives this weekend.

"They say that results don't matter in preseason, but results do matter. We must use different combinations and must look for quality and consistency."

Broughton said all members of the squad will get court time during the four matches.

Steel have been busy training with new strength and conditioning coach Stephen Hill-Haas since linking up together after the Christmas break. Broughton said the team was looking extremely sharp.

"I'm really pleased with the work they've been doing with Stephen. He wants them to be at their best. He's quite intense," she said.

Steel arguably has the most rigorous preseason campaign of any ANZ Championship side this year.

After the matches in Christchurch this weekend, they will head to Queenstown from February 19 to 21 to play a tournament against four other ANZ Championship sides and the Australian Institute of Sport.

They will then head to Sydney to play in the SOPA Cup from March 6 to 7 before returning to New Zealand for another preseason outing against the Tactix in Dunedin on March 13.

Last year, Steel made the top-four playoffs of the ANZ Championship for the first time and Broughton said the feeling was again positive for this season.

They have lost experienced campaigners Donna Wilkins, Adine Wilson, Megan Hutton and Silver Fern international Katrina Grant, but have attempted to plug those holes by snapping up towering defender Leana de Bruin, promising Mystics shooter Jade Topia and homegrown talent Emma Moynihan and Hayley Saunders.

Broughton said they had lost a great deal of experience from last year but, at the same time, it provided increased opportunities for promising young talents like Julianna Naoupu and Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit. "It's their third year with the team. It's their time to step up," she said.

- © Fairfax NZ News