Barrett-Chase set to anchor Steel midcourt

Liana Barrett-Chase is ready to step up her game and assume Adine Wilson's mantle as the anchor of the Southern Steel midcourt.

With the inspirational former Silver Fern skipper no longer playing top-level netball, Barrett-Chase and midcourt partner Wendy Frew will be expected to be vital contributors for Steel this season and lead by example.

Barrett-Chase, who is in her third year with Steel, said she was looking to take her game to a new level this season and draw on the experience she had picked up playing for the Silver Ferns during the past two years.

"Last year, Adine took so much pressure off me. Definitely, me and Wendy have to be the rock in the team. If things aren't working, we have to pull the team out of the slump."

Barrett-Chase established herself as the Silver Ferns' first choice at wing attack early last year, until she was struck down by a calf injury after starring in the opening test of the five-game series against Australia. She fought back from that blow to make the squad for the end-of-season tour to England and Jamaica, but lost her starting spot. The 25-year-old said it was one of the more frustrating things she had endured in her netball carreer.

"I was looking to finally stamp my mark in the starting lineup and then I got injured and had to come back and sit on the bench. It was a real eye-opener."

This year with Steel, Barrett-Chase is expected to start the season at wing attack, with Frew moving to centre, and she said it was a combination that had been building well in preseason games.

"We're working really well together. For me, it's just having the confidence to let the ball go. Hopefully, if I can do that, the (Silver Ferns wing-attack) position might be mine by the end of the season."

With Steel's first match of the ANZ Championship only two weeks away, the side heads to Sydney today for the important preseason SOPA Cup tournament against the five Australian franchises and Central Pulse. Matches will be played to the slightly shorter quarter length of 10 minutes, and Barrett-Chase said it would be an ideal opportunity to test themselves against the Australians.

The five Australian franchises have also shopped actively during the off-season, which should give Steel a good chance to assess how their opponents are shaping up.

Steel produced some promising signs in their most recent pre-season hitout in Queenstown and Barrett-Chase said they would be looking to build on those efforts in Sydney.

"Once we get a few more games under our belt, we'll be fine.

STEEL MATCHES

Steel's SOPA Cup schedule (all NZ times):

Tomorrow : 8.10pm, v Central Pulse; 10.30pm, v Adelaide Thunderbirds
Saturday: 1.10pm, v New South Wales Swifts 3.30pm, v West Coast Fever; 6pm, v Melbourne Vixens
Sunday: 12 noon, v Queensland Firebirds

- © Fairfax NZ News