Tutaia believes new competition too tight to call

KELLY SCHICKER/Fairfax Media

MAGICAL MYSTERY: Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic shooter Maria Tutaia says the new trans-Tasman netball competition is too tough to call as far as who the best teams will be.

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Shooter Maria Tutaia believes the new trans-Tasman netball competition will be so tight she can't pick who the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic's toughest opponents will be.

The ANZ Championship, featuring five New Zealand and five Australian teams, was launched in Auckland today, with Prime Minister Helen Clark among the guests.

The 17-week season begins on April 5, when the Central Pulse host the Melbourne Vixens in Wellington, and culminates in the final in late July.

The Magic look on paper to have the strongest squad in the competition.

They have six players with Silver Fern experience in Irene van Dyk, Joline Henry, Laura Langman, Casey Williams, Amigene Metcalfe and Tutaia.

But Tutaia could see only a level playing field before her containing teams that were hard to separate.

She described the pre-season tournament in Sydney this month, when Australian sides took overall honours and the Southern Steel were the best of the New Zealanders, as "hard yakka".

It was an indicator how much effort all franchises had put into their preparations.

"Every team is on an par with everyone else, which makes it even more exciting," she said.

"You want to be in a competition where you work hard and you reap the rewards. It's just great the teams are all so even."

Tutaia, 21, played for the Diamonds in the old National Bank Cup.

But she decided against staying in Auckland and joining new ANZC side the Northern Mystics, opting instead to sign for the Magic, where she is linking up in the attack line with van Dyk.

Tutaia said her partnership with van Dyk had been going well in pre-season training.

"Irene is the world's best goal shoot and playing in combination with her in training has been very beneficial," she said.

"We're working really hard on what we need to do and it's going really well."

Tutaia said anticipation was high in the Magic camp over the new championship, which replaces the NBC and Australia's Commonwealth Bank Trophy.

There was plenty of excitement at having Australian sides fly over, and vice versa.

After so much preparation time, Tutaia couldn't wait to get out out on court for the Magic's round-one home clash with the Adelaide Thunderbirds on April 7.

"Pre-season training is always the hardest kind of training and I'm glad it's nearly over," she said.

"I just want to get out there and into the nitty-gritty and play netball."

- NZPA