Southern Steel's consistency focus for coach

Southern Steel coach Robyn Broughton is looking for more consistency from her side at the SOPA Cup preseason tournament in Sydney, which begins tonight, as the start of the new season fast approaches.

Steel will play each of the five Australian franchises during the next three days, as well as Central Pulse, as they build up to their first game of the ANZ Championship against West Coast Fever in Invercargill on March 21.

The games will be played to the slightly shorter quarter length of 10 minutes, and Broughton said it would be another great opportunity to work on combinations, fine-tune their game and adjust to the fast-paced Australian style of play.

Steel will almost be at full strength for the tournament, with only Sheryl Scanlan and Jade Topia unavailable for the weekend.

Scanlan has been easing herself back into training during the past few weeks after recovering from a calf injury she suffered late last year, but Broughton did not want to take any chances with her this weekend. The former Silver Fern defender is likely to come back for next weekend's final preseason hitout against Canterbury Tactix in Dunedin next weekend instead. Topia missed Steel's preseason tournament in Queenstown two weeks ago because of a back injury and has not fully recovered yet. Wider training squad member Kendall McMinn and former Sting defender and Steel physio Jenny Ferguson will travel with the side as injury cover. Broughton said she was pretty happy with how Steel were progressing preseason, but said she wanted to see improvement right through the court in Sydney.

Steel shooters Daneka Wipiiti, Megan Dehn and Julianna Naoupu have had limited chances to play alongside each other during preseason, and Broughton said it would be another good opportunity for them to work on their partnerships.

"We've got to get those combinations right. They've been getting good shooting statistics, but we need to put it together."

Steel begin play tonight against Central Pulse and the Thunderbirds before playing the Swifts, Fever and Vixens tomorrow. They wrap up the tournament against the Queensland Firebirds on Sunday.

STEEL SQUAD

Megan Dehn (c), Daneka Wipiiti, Julianna Naoupu, Liana Barrett-Chase, Wendy Frew, Hayley Saunders, Erika Burgess, Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit, Leana de Bruin, Emma Moynihan, Kendall McMinn, Jenny Ferguson

- © Fairfax NZ News