Thunderbirds are go at home

ROBYN EDIE/ID 123807

MY BALL: Southern Steel defenders Debbie White and Katrina Grant in a battle for the ball at training on Thursday night.

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Another ANZ Championship week and another game on the road awaits Southern Steel.

This time the Adelaide Thunderbirds get to play host and, as such, Steel finds itself having to adapt to the Australian "man-on-man" defence and the Australian umpires once more.

The Thunderbirds played themselves into a position of "finals favourite" last weekend with a one-point win over the Melbourne Vixens.

There's strength throughout the court — the accurate shooting of Natalie Medhurst at one end, Natalie von Bertouch in the midcourt and an enviable defensive pairing of Mo'onia Gerrard and Geva Mentor.

As if that wasn't enough, tomorrow will be the Thunderbirds' first home game, after winning two from their three games on the road, and they are clear TAB favourites for a head-to-head win at $1.16, compared to Steel's odds at $4.50.

If there's a spare underdog tag anywhere, Southern Steel may be able to lay claim to it, but that doesn't mean the southerners can be written off at any point.

There may be aspects weighing against Steel, but there's also a lot in its favour.

Gerrard and Mentor are a combination teams the world over would be wary of, but neither matches the 1.94m height of Steel shooter Daneka Wipiiti, who has been starring for Steel this season.

If the midcourt duo of Liana Barrett-Chase and Jenny-May Coffin can continue to get consistent ball to her then things should start on a bright note for the visitors.

Steel coach Robyn Broughton said the team was prepared for what awaited it.

"We obviously have to be aware of how tight they'll be in the goal circle — Mentor and Mo'onia Gerrard have certainly stamped their authority in the games they have played and we have to be aware of that," she said.

"We just have to play to our strengths, and we have got strength in the circle too." Key for Steel, after last week's victory over the Canterbury Tactix, is looking after turnover ball, which will be crucial against a polished Thunderbirds side.

"We got plenty of turnover ball, even against the Tactix, but we still threw it away and we can't afford to do that. It's not just us, it's most of the teams, but why do all that hard work then chuck it away? We've been working really hard on that," Broughton said.

A highlight that came from last week's Steel win was the obvious depth within the team, with Katrina Grant getting her first start at goal defence, Wendy Telfer and Debbie White continuing to share the wing defence bib and Barrett-Chase taking on centre, swapping with Coffin at wing attack.

"We are quite lucky ... it's coming along well in all positions."

- © Fairfax NZ News